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This book is an introduction to the poker game, emphasizing on the Texas Hold 'em Poker, the betting structure, poker variants, poker strategy and specific poker tournaments. The popularity of poker (mainly the no-limit Texas hold'em) reached an unprecedented peak in the 2000s. This "poker boom" is attributed to several factors: the invention of online poker, the television broadcast tournaments (with miniature cameras revealing the cards), the presentation of the online poker sites in television commercials, and victory in 2003 of Chris Moneymaker at the World Series of Poker.
Not only the public can now follow the actions of the tournaments on television, turning this game in the sporting spectacle, but it can also be played directly from home. The spread of tournaments such as the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour created a strong following among television program providers by cable or satellite. Because of the hype, professional players have become celebrities, with many fans around the world participating in tournaments in the hope of being confronted with these celebrities.
Poker is played in many variations but there are three large families. They differ firstly by the way of distribution of playing cards. Cards can be shared by all players or private for each player. They can also be closed (visible only by the owner of cards) or open (visible to all). There are also differences in the game base on stakes. The winning hands can be high, low or both (high/low). In some embodiments where poker is played high and low hands, certain conditions are imposed on low hands.
For example, a player's hand can not contain card over eight (eight or better), or aces can count only as high card (deuce to seven)."Poker is a microcosm of all we admire and disdain about capitalism and democracy. It can be rough-hewn or polished, warm or cold, charitable and caring or hard and impersonal. It is fickle and elusive, but ultimately it is fair, and right, and just." -- Lou Krieger