In the United States, there are over 60 million players of poker, and over 100 million of them play online. The game has a long history, and is widely popular both offline and online. It was invented in France in the seventeenth century and came to be known as poque. It developed alongside the German game pochen, a variant of the Spanish primero. French settlers brought the game to the New World, where it quickly gained popularity.
A game of poker can be played with anywhere from two to 10 players, although it’s recommended to keep it smaller than that. The object of the game is to win the “pot,” which is the total of all the players’ bets during a particular deal. The highest hand is declared the winner of the pot. For example, a player can win the “pot” by having the highest-ranking poker hand, or by making the last bet without being called by anyone else.
If a player does not have a good hand, they may check, and not bet. If another player bets, that player may raise it. If the player raises the bet, they may also check. This is called sandbagging, and is generally allowed, unless it’s against the rules. The player who checks is called a “checker” and will not be considered a bluff.
