Poker: gambling or sport?

Let’s start with what sports poker is – it is a card game in which participants predict the chances of a winning combination and evaluate the tactics of their opponents. The game itself takes place in the form of a tournament. The sponsors provide a guarantee. This card game includes wild excitement, knowledge and discipline.

Unlike online roulette, sports poker has a significant advantage: physical contact with your opponents helps you get to know them better and think through possible outcomes of events.

Basic rules and poker varieties

There are three main areas: cash games, multi-table tournaments, match poker. The first two options occur online and have no punishment for rule violations. Tournaments and match poker allow team games, in which case the winner will be the whole team.

The minimum number of participating people is two, and the maximum is ten. The main goal is to win at the showdown stage. To do this, you need to force your opponents to discard their cards or collect the necessary combination yourself.

In match poker, there are rules that are approved by the federation. This regulation can be different for each tournament; it depends on the organisers. Players’ goal is to get as many points as possible to take a high place in the standings. Upon completion, the winner receives a cash prize and the title of the champion of this tournament and a special commemorative prize from the organisers.

The most crucial thing in poker is the personal status and prestige of the player. After all, it is taken as professional skills and has to equate to the level of the opponents. Each participant pays a special fee at the beginning of the match and then plays not for money but chips. In the end, the winning chips are converted into real money.

Some information to help you place bets is publicly available on the web and at Casinobaltics.com. However, this is not sufficient. Undoubtedly, the main source of information is right in front of your eyes, and these are your opponents. By studying their behaviour, game tactics and features, you will immediately go up a few levels. The great Daniel Negreanu admits that he regularly analysed his opponents’ facial expressions and gestures. And this helped him to win over his competitors.

Now let’s talk about the different varieties of blind increase: Texas Hold ’em, 7 Card Stud, Omaha hold’em. Let’s start with Texas Hold ’em, its goal is to acquire a combination of five cards. At the first stage, each participant receives two pocket cards. Those sitting on the left have to place a blind bet. Then the flop begins with three cards, which are used to find the best combinations. After that, players get one card each. In the end, the winner is determined by showdown.

Omaha Hold ’em and Texas Hold ’em are different. In Texas Hold ’em, the bet size is unlimited, while in Omaha, there are restrictions. The game starts with four given four pocket cards.

Finally, 7 Card Stud. The game starts with a mandatory bet. Three cards are dealt straight away. If it so happened that you came across a low-ranking card, then you will have to make another mandatory payment. And if, on the contrary, you are the owner of a high-ranking card, then the first move is yours. The winner, like everywhere else, is chosen by showdown.

The rules for holding various tournaments depend on the formation of the playing tables. The American type implies changing the seating arrangements after filtering out weaker players. As a result, the number of tables decreases, and in the final round, there is only one. The Olympics includes rounds from 1/32 to the final. To get to the next round, you must become the leader in the previous one.

Let’s sum up the general rules of poker. After the dealing, the seating of the players’ changes depending on the ranks of the cards. Each prediction has a limit. Match poker has a fixed limit. In this case, it is clearly stated how many times you can raise the bet. In the pot-limit format, the size of the bet does not exceed the size of the pot. Speaking about combinations, it is worth noting that there are situations when participants have identical layouts, in which case the winner is chosen by a kicker.

If the above rules are violated, the player is subject to cancellation of points or disqualification. What are the fines for? For example, for advising other players, insults, delaying games on purpose and much more.

How did it all start?

In 1970, the first tournament, led by Benny Binion, was held in Las Vegas. Back then, there were only 7 participants from the USA. Each of them paid a buy-in of $5,000. Competitions were held in several types of poker at once. Johnny Moss won the competition and was unofficially recognised as the champion. His winnings amounted to $30,000. The event became something special for the audience because it was the first of a kind. Thus, they decided to create a series of games called the WSOP. Over the years, the popularity has grown, and with the popularity grew the number of participants. For example, in 1980, only 73 players took part, and in 2020 there were more than 6 thousand of them.
The turning point was in 2003 when Christopher Moneymaker won $2.5 million. Christopher himself was an ordinary accountant who was good at maths. This became the basis of his success. This story amazed the audience because everyone dreams of such an “easy”, as it seems at first glance, earnings. Therefore, in 2004, the number of WSOP players significantly increased. Also, poker has ceased to be a game of chance from that moment. It was granted the title of a sport, and a poker federation was founded. Although it is no longer recognised as a sport now.
In Russia, as we have mentioned, poker is no longer a sport but a casino game. You can play poker only in specialised places: Siberian Coin, Krasnaya Polyana, Primorye, Yantarnaya. Ukrainian and Belarusian players are a little more fortunate since poker is officially allowed in these countries. A high-level BPT tournament is held in Belarus, and in Ukraine, you can participate in the UA Millions championship every year.

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