Some Fun Facts About Poker

So your a poker player. Whether you are good or bad, I'm sure you probably don't know all of the following facts on the origins of cards and poker. These are pretty interesting to know for any type of player.

• Playing cards were invented in China.


• A fifth suit was added in 1937 but never caught on because people had to buy all new decks.


• At least 65,000,000 Americans regularly play poker, and more are playing every day.


• Dead mans hand is Ace's and Eights


• Getting dealt 10, 2 is referred to as Doyle Brunson because he won back to back World Series with the hand.


• In the 1800's, 2,000 to 2,500 riverboat gamblers played poker on American Waterways, By contemporary accounts, no more than four of these poker players were honest all the time. A straight beat a flush at this time.


• Las Vegas Casinos are not legally obligated to pay off there gambling debts.
  
• Due to French Influence, Spades represent Royalty, Diamonds represent Merchants, Clubs represent the peasants, and hearts represent the clergy.


• Edmond Hoyle lived to be 97, but died 150 years before Poker was invented.


• Playing cards were introduced in Europe in the 1300's.


• When Columbus landed in 1492 in North America, his men plucked wide leaves from trees, drew pictures on them and played cards.


• Historians generally agree that Bill Hickock was a lousy poker player.


• Groucho Marx got his name from carrying his poker money in a "grouch bag."


• Former President Richard Nixon won $6,000 playing poker in his first two months in the U.S. Navy during WWll. That's equal to roughly $42,640 in 2004 dollars. He used that money as well as more poker winnings to finance his run for the U.S. Congress in 1946, for which he won.