There are many fun facts about poker, especially since the game has existed for over 1,000 years. Since it has been around for so long, and exists in so many cultures, lots of strange and interesting things have happened. It is believed that poker actually began being played in China in the 10th century. From there, the game gained huge popularity in France. Now, it has become a staple game in Canada and the USA.
It is a common belief that the four kings in the deck of cards – spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts – are derived from actual ancient royal figures. The king of clubs that holds a ball depicts the king of Macedonia, Alexander The Great. King of spades holding a large sword is David, the king of Israel. The king of hearts is the king of France, known as Charlemagne. Lastly, the king of Diamonds, with a huge axe doing the Roman salute, is believed to be the Roman Caesar Augustus.
Poker chips were not always the poker currency. In its primitive stages, poker was often played for gold nuggets, gold dust, and even gold coins. Because of this, it was never easy to standardize units accurately. Therefore, there was a need to find a standard unit. This inspired the creation of poker chips by gaming houses and saloons. At that time, ivory, wood, clay, and bones were used to make the chips. These chips used to have signs on them to show their value. Coins could be exchanged for actual money in the gaming houses; just the same way it works today.
Poker was once played with only 20 cards. Now 52 cards is the standard. The number of cards gradually increased so that the game could accommodate more players. Before the 1800s, poker was played with just 20 cards, and with this, only four players with five cards each could play at a time.
The longest poker game ever was hosted at the Birdcage Theatre in Tombstone, Arizona in 1881. It is reported that the game started in 1881 and went on continuously for eight years, five months, and three days. This made it the longest poker game in history! The lowest buy-in was $1000, which was a little high for some players then. However, in 1889, the game had to end after groundwater flooded the theater and many other structures in Tombstone.
We hope you enjoyed these fun facts, and are ready for a great game of poker. Come play here.
Source: GamingLyfe
