One of the most popular card games around is poker. The game has a long history even though many people think of it as a game that began in the Wild West. This is probably because it features so often in western movies.
However, the game that was played in the days of the Wild West had actually travelled over to America from France, where the game was called poque. French settlers introduced the game to the new settlement of New Orleans, and it then travelled west with the pioneers.
One of the skills that has always been thought of as a necessary part of playing poker is to be able to maintain a ‘poker face’. This means being able to maintain a neutral expression so that other players aren’t able to guess the quality of the hand you are holding. However, a recent study by Tufts University in the US has shown that other body language is as important, if not more important, as a good ‘poker face’. In fact, it’s the way players move their arm and hand as they place chips on the table that can give away the kind of hand they are holding.
Researchers asked the study participants (who were not poker players themselves) to watch 20 different two second video clips of people playing poker, and asked them to judge the quality of the hand the player was holding. When the participants watched the players’ faces only; their judgements amounted to random guesses – in other words, it was possible for a player to trick others into believing they had a better or worse hand than they actually did through the facial expression they used. However, when the participants watched the video clips that showed the arm and hand movements, their judgement of the quality of each hand was far more accurate. The theory is that players don’t move as smoothly when they have the stress of knowing they are holding a poor hand, yet are less successful at masking this in the same way that they can do with their facial expressions.
Today, of course, most recreational poker players don’t actually need a good poker face or a good poker arm. The majority of people play at sites like 32Red casino online, where your body language and facial expressions can’t be seen by any of the other players. However, that doesn’t mean it’s any easier to win, as there are a lot of players online who have bags of experience and will quickly take novice players’ money from them.
At 32red, new players can get lots of practice in by using their six free entries to the freeroll tournaments which they get when they sign up to the site, meaning that they can play for a $500 pot every week for six weeks without having to buy-in to the game. This is a great way to build up your poker playing skills without having to risk any of your own cash. Then, when you start playing cash games, you’ll have a better chance of holding onto your stake.
Whether you then go on to perfect a poker arm as well as a poker face for playing live poker tournaments is up to you!
online blackjack
Perhaps the fastest and the easiest way to learn about the use of cards is by playing online games, like blackjack. Such games may not show you the beauty of authentic cards, but you will still have lots of fun. Play blackjack now!
Traditional Games
There is no doubt each country has its own traditions and customs, even when it comes to playing cards. Find out about the special features of the cards and card games in different countries.
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