Poker Chip Sets – From Coins to Professional Clay Poker Chips
Poker Chip Sets – Where did it all start?
Keeping a straight flush or better yet
a royal flush in your hand is indeed a sign of a good hand. You can play all you can
stack poker chips over and over again
but did it ever strike you how this game of poker started? It has always been stated by philosophers all over the world how important it is to know your historical roots. One poet even cryptically said that he who cannot draw over three thousand years is living from hand to mouth
whatever that means.
To save you from the trouble of understanding that line
it simply means that you have to know your historical roots in order to become a human being
or a true poker player for this matter. In a game of poker
you surely don’t want to look like a sore loser right? Yes
it is understandable that studying history can become so boring. It must be so tedious that you must have slept your history classes way back in school
unless you are a history aficionado. In any case
poker chips and threrefore poker chip sets also have a history of their own
which is quite interesting to say the least. So why not take a little break from the games and know a thing or two on how poker chip sets came to be.
Poker Chip Sets – A History of Poker
First
it is a good idea to start the lesson with poker itself. There would not be any poker chip sets if there was not any game to play with them
right? Anyway
the history of poker is arbitrary
just as a heated game of it with drunken friends who are trying to cheat each other. Truth is that the game does not seem to have an origin
so how can you learn about the history of poker chip sets? Do not be saddened
because that just shows how old poker is today. Anyway
the first reference to the game in history was through a book of rules written by Jonathan H. Green back in 1834
where the game was an addiction among Mississippi natives.
It was even called the cheating game
no wonder. At least you now know that the game did not start in Las Vegas and that the game has involved a bit of cheating ever since it came into being. To continue
the game was first played with only 20 cards
using only the top five highest cards
namely the aces
the kings
the queens
the jacks
and the tens. During the time that Green was writing about the cheating game
poker was the number one game along the Mississippi River.
Poker Chip Sets – The Evolution of Poker
The game has evolved a lot of times since
starting from 20 cards
then going to 32
and finally reaching 52
plus 2 additional jokers. Still
the origin of the word poker remains a subject of debate. Some say that it came from the French poque
others claim that it must be the German pochspiel
while another group thinks that it is the Hindi pukka. Whatever it is
there is still an element of poker in it
all of the words starting with the letter P
perhaps? It does not end there yet
because there are some explanations that trace it to the English slang poke
which is no less used to describe the activities of a pickpocket.
The pickpockets added an R to disguise themselves. A more occult and magical point of view is believing that the word came from hocus-pocus. Now there are so many ruckuses as to how poker came around to be called poker
but it is still interesting to know that there are actually people who would flush each other just for the sake of naming things
not to mention the handful of foreign terms that you now have for your own use. Now how about the poker chip sets?
Poker Chip Sets – What came before poker chips?
In the early beginnings of the game
different gamblers had different currencies. Coins and gold nuggets were first used a long
long time ago. Widespread gambling had begun around the 18th century
and at that point
the differences in coins became a problem. To come up with a solution
gamblin
g places
but not necessarily casinos
gave the gamblers an alternative. They used bone
clay
ivory
paper
shellac
and wood as substitutes. Yet another problem was created because of this. The cheating gamblers turned to forgery
which forced gambling establishments to brand their own substitutes in some way to make them unique in some way.
Come to think of it
poker chip sets were
in a sense
created to keep those cheaters away. But it doesn’t change the fact that even when casinos become popular
chip forgery was still an activity not unknown to gamblers and establishments alike. Now that is the reason why each casino has its own specially designed chip that are extremely hard to copy. Indeed
it has become a challenging but exciting task to have their own brand of poker chips. It is also worth mentioning that by this time
the poker chip sets are now of various sizes and materials
depending on the value of a certain chip.
Poker Chip Sets – Technology
With the progression of technology
there are now many manufacturers of poker chip sets which serve many casinos. The chips also had a standard size and weight
which is 39 millimeters in diameter and 8.5 grams to 20.5 grams. Now the chips also come in various quality materials and beautiful designs. Some even have microchips implanted on them
just to put a stop to forgery. These chips are not only available in casinos
but they have also become available to the public. It was because of the seemingly endless frenzy with poker that poker chip sets can now be seen at dining tables in many homes.
Now you know how the poker chip came into light. It is not actually the game itself that brought it into this world
but it is the means of substituting the money waged in poker that made poker chips the way they are. It is an invention out of practicality and convenience
you might say.
–
New Bill May Legalise Online Poker In The USA
Senator Menendez introduces the Internet Skill Game Licensing and Control Act which if passed into law will legitimise and regulate online poker. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_02102008_47.html
Poker Skill Debate Goes Mainstream
The debate around whether poker is a game of skill or chance breaks into the mainstream press. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_08042009_198.html
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by admin on March 2nd, 2010 Tags: Casino, Gambler, Gambling, Games, Online Poker, poker
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