In the game of poker, the money and chips put into play are called the “pot”. The player who posts the ante, or first bet, gives the pot value right away. In this poker game, the winner of the hand takes home the entire pot’s value. A pot limit is set at a certain amount, which limits the size of the betting range. The pot limits can range anywhere from one cent to two hundred dollars per hand.
In the poker variants with more than ten players, two separate games are organized. For example, three-card Monte and spitting in the ocean are two examples of fewer than five card games. All variations of the game are explained further in the chapter. When more than ten players are involved, two separate games are organized. A player with two pairs loses if the hand is a “better” one than the others. The winning hand consists of two different pairs and three of a kind.
Historically, the game of poker was developed in France. It was probably a 17th century version of the French game poque. The word poker was likely derived from that game, as it has become a common part of European culture. Eventually, it branched out into other languages, including the English word poker. Eventually, the French settlers brought poker to North America. The French also introduced poker to Mexico and Argentina. They took it back to France and brought it to the continent.