Category: Poker Lifestyle

History of Poker

The fascinating history of poker seems as interesting and full of legends as the game itself.
There are lots of different theories out there, so we decided to go through them all and create a ‘one stop’ blog post to tell you everything. 

Poker is the world’s most popular card game, played all over the planet by all kinds of people. The game has seen a huge boom in popularity over the past 15 years, but the game actually goes way back and seems to be a melting pot of popular features known from a range of old card games.
It’s story stretches across centuries and played a major role in iconic moments of history such as the colonization of America, the Old West, and World War 1.

As-Nas

As-NasMost historians agree that the ancient, Persian card game ‘as-nas’ seems a likely origin to poker. The game can be traced back as far as the 17th century and stems from Arabic culture. 

As-nas was both the name of the game and the type of cards used to play it. The name as-nas roughly translates into something like “Aces and Mankind”, and the cards featured an ace and 4 different kinds of man. Not unlike modern playing cards.
However, the ‘mankind cards’ would often show 4 ranked levels of society such as a king, a lady, a soldier and a dancing-girl. The ace was usually something cool – like a dragon or a lion. Or both, fighting each other.
A deck of as-nas would have 4 or 5 identical cards of each suit meaning the full deck was either 20 or 25 cards.

When playing as-nas, each player was dealt five cards. With no community cards, the player would only use the cards in his hand to make combinations. The ranking of combinations was pretty similar to what we use today, but without straights and flushes. 

The dealer would be the first to place a stake and you would then go around the table in a circle with players either calling, raising or folding. Sound familiar? When all players’ stake was even and no one wanted to raise further, the players would show their cards and a winner was found.
What’s also really interesting about as-nas, is that the game would encourage bluffing.

As-nas certainly seems to be a very likely ancestor to poker. It introduced elements like betting, bluffing and even the early stages of the same hand rank we use today.
There’s also no denying that the game had a huge involvement in shaping the deck of cards we use today, with its introduction of aces and face cards.
But later card games would come to further develop the game towards the poker we play today.

The European Ancestors

Like much of the American population, poker also seems to have clear roots in Europe. 
Some time during the 17th century, a card game called ‘primero’ became wildly popular in Spain. The game had three cards dealt to all players and a big focus on bluffing.
Later, primero was copied by the Germans who named their version ‘pochen’ and the french who called it ‘poque’.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Irish also had a version called ‘poca’ and the brits developed a version called ‘brag’. Confused yet? 

Anyway, the french version (poque) was by far the most played and in the 17th century the French colonists brought it to their settlements in North America.

Early History of Poker in America

After being brought to North America, poque was translated into English and quickly developed into different versions. Around this time is when stud poker was introduced – a version of poker that is of course still played today, although less popular than Texas Hold’em and Omaha.

This version of poker became popular among the crews of riverboats transporting goods up and down the Mississippi River and thus quickly spread around the country. In fact, this is believed to be where the poker term ‘river card’ (fifth community card) derives from. As poker became popular during Mississippi boat rides, sometimes cheaters would purposely deal a final community card that would improve their own hand. If such cheating was discovered, the guy would be thrown overboard and so the river card got its name.

Early versions of casinos called ‘gambling houses’ started popping up along the riverbanks and these attracted a lot of opportunistic people, trying to hit the jackpot. This same group of people was later attracted to the possibilities of prospecting and the gold rush – and so poker spread to the West. It became tremendously popular in Westers Saloons, and is perhaps one of the most recognized elements of the Old West today. Their game of choice mostly resembles stud poker and was the backdrop of many Western stories and legends. Although a great pastime, one can easily imagine how the alcohol, guns and laws of that time would often result in very dramatic poker games. 

History of Poker

Soldiers spreading poker

When the civil war broke out in April of 1861, many men were called to arms. As both sides gathered in their respective camps a lot of them brought poker from the West and this quickly became a popular pastime between fights. Since it was played by both sides, pretty much every soldier was introduced to the game and it’s rules at this time and it seems the game stuck with them after the war. Upon returning to their families, the soldiers further spread the game and poker, that up until now was only played by men and outlaws, was now enjoyed by everyone.

Soldiers at war also seem to be what brought the game of poker back to Europe after maturing across the pond. Although the US tried to remain neutral for the start of WW1, certain events and threats forced them to enter the war in 1917. On a faithful morning in June of 1917, American soldiers sat foot in Europe, ready for war. As during the civil war, poker became a great way to socialize between battles, and quickly caught on among the US allies who kept playing it long after the last shot of WW1 was fired.

History of Poker

History of Texas Hold’em

Just as one would expect, the exact origin of Texas Hold’em is the object of much debate and myths. According to official documents by Texas Legislature, the official birthplace of Texas Hold’em is the small town of Robstown, located in the state of (you’ve guessed it) Texas. This was sometime in the 1920’s.
It was the first of it’s kind to use community cards, and therefore the first to distinguish between cards on the board and the cards you hold. This is probably why they doubted the game ‘Hold’em’.
Although never officially confirmed, poker legend has it that this fast paced and pretty different take on poker was invented by notorious road gambler Blondie Forbes. A man who was later inducted in the Poker Hall of Fame for the creation.

This new type of poker quickly became popular around Texas, but never really left the state. Not until several decades later, in the 1960’s, when the entrepreneurial texan Crandell Addington saw a business opportunity and took the game to Vegas.
Things didn’t go too smooth for Addington though, as the only casino who took the bid was ‘The Golden Nugget’. The Golden Nugget was located in downtown Las Vegas, and not on the prestigious and buzzing ‘Strip’. And as if that wasn’t enough, it’s poker room was run down and very basic, with sawdust covering the floor. Not an ideal place for Addington to have his game played by any of the big players – and something had to be done.

Addington finally got his big break in 1969 when the now-demolished Dunes Casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip, agreed to host a Texas Hold’em tournament which caught the attention of the big players. And the attention of Benny Binion, a huge influencer of the Las Vegas we’ve come to know. Binion had lost his gaming license, and was looking for a chance to bounce back to the top of the Las Vegas gaming community. He and his son Jack started “The World Series Of Poker” and made Hold’em (now known as Texas Hold’em due to its roots) the centerpiece of the entire thing. 

WSOP took off like a rocket and this helped solidify Texas Hold’em as the most popular type of poker in front of Five-Card Draw and Seven-Card Stud. And when Texas Hold’em was legalized in California in 1980 the game saw a massive boom.

Years later, WSOP became a household name when Chris Moneymaker (a complete amateur) beat all the pros and went on to take home the grand prize of a whopping $2,500,000. A truly amazing story we’ve detailed in this post

Today the word “poker” is largely synonymous with Texas Hold’em – so much so that pop culture often get’s it’s timeline wrong. Like in the popular video game “Red Dead Redemption” where players are free to roam around the small towns of the Old West. The game allows users to enter saloons and play poker – but the game you’ll be playing is Texas Hold’em – even though this style of poker was in no way popular (or even invented) at that time. You gotta give the people what they want, right?

Make your mark on the
History of Poker

Now that you’re educated on the fascinting history of poker you of course need to casually share it with your friends – perhaps over a game of poker? 

If so consider downloading the free EasyPoker app – a digital version of a physical poker set that provide you and your friends with an endless amount of chips and cards – for free.
The app is available for both Android & iPhone and so easy to navigate that even good old Blondie Forbes would be able to pick it up and get a game going in no time. 
The app takes care of everything, so all you guys have to do is just play your cards and have fun. 
And who knows, maybe we’ll have to add a segment about you in the history of poker.

History of Poker
History of Poker

History of poker

Here at EasyPoker we’re always eager to hear from our community. If you have something to add to this story, or a specific element of the history of poker you’d like us to touch on, please let us know in the comments below. 
Thank you, and have a great day. 


Virtual Poker Game with Friends

Hosting a virtual poker game with friends is easy.

Whether you’re sitting apart, or in the same room trying to limit physical interaction, the EasyPoker app is perfect – and it’s free to download and play.

Getting started is quick and easy, just follow these 3 steps:

Virtual Poker Game with Friends

1) Download EasyPoker

EasyPoker is a digital version of the physical poker set you know and love.
The app provides both chips & cards for free and facilitates the entire game – all you and your friends have to do is just play your cards.

Virtual Poker Game with Friends

2) Create a virtual poker game with friends

EasyPoker lets you create a private poker table with a single tap on your screen.
Each table has a four digit game code, which your friends just type on their phone to join the game. We’ve made it extremely easy to share the game code directly from the app by simply tapping on it and choosing how to send it to friends. 

Once everyone is ready and in the game lobby, the host just tap to launch the table.
And that’s it – your virtual poker game with friends is now live. 

Here’s a quick video that shows how to get your game going.

3) Talk together while playing

For this to truly be a virtual poker game with friends you of course need to be able to talk together while playing. EasyPoker has a built-in voice chat feature, which works just like a group call. Voice chat is a premium feature and so while everyone at the table can listen in, only EasyPoker+ members can say something. You turn voice chat on and off in the in game settings that you access from the top right corner.

Using a tool like Zoom is of course also a great (and free) way to hang out virtually while playing. Zoom of course has video calls that allow you to see (and maybe read) each other while playing. EasyPoker and Zoom work great together, since EasyPoker is a mobile app meaning you can dedicate your computer to the video call and not have to switch back and forth. Having them separate also allows you to place and frame your computer how you want so we all avoid those awkward video calls starring the bottom of people’s faces and nostrils.

Virtual Poker Game with Friends

Virtual Poker Game with Friends

Poker is a great game and ideal when you and your friends want to hang out and relax.
With the EasyPoker app, you can have the classic experience of live, face to face poker even when you’re apart. 
And in case you or your friends need a brush up on the rules we’ve made quick a guide on How to Play Poker

If you have an idea for how we might make the experience even better, let us know in the comments below.


How to Host a Poker Night During Quarantine

In Denmark, a story just broke about a group of friends who were all fined for attending their weekly poker night. The police were called and found that the poker night was in violation of the danish ‘Law of Assembly’, which restricts more than a few people to gather in one location during these times of lockdown.

This story is just one of many crazy ones related to the current Corona quarantines, but it raises a valid question: How to host a poker night during quarantine?

Poker is a Hazard

Poker is everyone’s favorite game – but it’s also a really effective way of spreading a virus between your friends.

You usually sit around a table, in close proximity, and maybe share snacks or drinks.
On top of that, you all take turns touching both cards and chips before putting them into a pile and exchanging them among you. 

It’s a virus frenzy, and not ideal in times like these. 

So, without further adieu, here are some tips on how to host a quarantine-friendly poker night. 

coronavirus poker

Practice good hand hygiene

We use our hands for pretty much anything, and if you come in contact with the virus it will most likely be through your hands. The virus can’t enter your body directly from your hands, but you might transfer it to your eyes, mouth or nose if you touch your face – something the average human does many times an hour.

Therefore, the best way to prevent such a spread would be to keep good hand hygiene. Wash your hands before playing, making sure you don’t bring any outside virus to the table. Ideally, you should wash your hands frequently and every time you’ve touched your face. An alcoholic hand sanitizer will also do.

Keep it small and keep your distance

This is probably the most effective way of stopping the spread.

There’s no way around it – crowds are a bad idea during a quarantine. For this reason, it’s probably best to scale back and keep your poker night small in numbers. In general, you wanna avoid big groups.

The virus can’t jump between you if you keep the recommended distance of 6 feet. This is not ideal, of course, but it goes a long way to prevent the spread.

Get Some Fresh Air

Open a window and let in some fresh air. The Corona virus is airborne and can hang in the room after someone sneezes or coughs. So keeping the air in circulation is a great idea.

In an ideal world, you would have your poker night outside – something we of course realize might be hard with cards and chips everywhere.

EasyPoker will do all this for you

Lucky for you, there’s a free app on the market that takes care of all this, and provides a realistic and completely Corona-safe, face to face poker night. EasyPoker – the digital poker set that fits right into your pocket.

The app lets you create a game with a single tap on your phone, and your friends just enter the four digit game code to join your table.
It’s that easy – and EasyPoker provides both cards and chips.

The app lets you create a game with a single tap on your phone, and your friends just enter the four digit game code to join your table.
It’s that easy – and EasyPoker provides both cards and chips.

You each use your own phone to play, and so EasyPoker eliminates the need for physical cards and chips, which removes the risk of transmitting the virus from your hands. A pretty big win.
Not having to exchange physical cards and chips means you can easily keep your 6 feet distance. The app also has a voice chat feature, allowing you to talk with each other while playing, no matter the distance between you.

You don’t even need a table to play anymore – meaning, for the first time, you can have your poker night anytime, anywhere. This means you can play outside, with plenty of air circulation, without having cards and chips fly everywhere.

This really is a new way to play poker – an easier way.

Get EasyPoker Here

DANIEL NEGREANU STORY

So stay safe everyone!

And remember that washing your hands is always a good idea – not only in times of virus and crisis. And always follow the corona quarantine guidelines from WHO.


Interesting Facts About Poker to Tell Your Friends

Want to become a true poker connoisseur? Then take a good luck at some funny and interesting facts about poker that we have put together for you. Enjoy!

Evolution of Poker

Did you know that poker originated in America? It actually took birth in New Orleans, Louisiana. Nowadays, we know it as Texas Hold’em which is just besides Louisiana.

During its first years of development, it came apparent that there was a need for some kind of common currency. Poker chips replaced coins, gold etc. Till this day, poker chips are still used – but it is highly doubtful that they are fabricated the way they were, when they were first coined. Ivory, bone, clay and wood seems to have lost its grip in chips, but luckily poker has not lost its grasp on people.

From Underground to Television

Day by day, year by year, poker evolved. In 1973 it took a giant leap forward. For the first time ever The World Series of Poker was transmitted live from Las Vegas. Tennessee child, Walter “Puggy” Pearson, won $130.000 and the main event that year. Since that year, many more tournaments have been televised for the pleasure of people.

Bigger audience and more people watching poker, means more “eyes on the prize”. Luckily, there are plenty of combinations to go around.

There exists more than 300 million seven card poker hands. That is quite a few. That is just a few millions too many for pros to remember, but they still manage to get the edge on you. Sometimes. It is stated, that the best poker players only got five percent advantage on a skilled poker player.

Dirty Clothes

This is next to nothing, but if you learn to read your opponents? almost nothing might just be enough. It is said that leaning forward or backward is a tell-tell sign of a strong hand.

It is also said that some poker players play in dirty clothes out of shear superstition. SO be aware of your surroundings and smell your way around superstitious players looking for glory (and gold).

Do you know any interesting facts about poker? Comment down below or send us a massage. You can also check out our other blog post with more poker facts.

Poker with Friends

If you like poker then you should check out EasyPoker. It’s an app that’s designed to facilitate live poker among friends. It has a Kahoot style multiplayer system and it’s completely free. Get it for iPhone and Android.

 


Genius Poker Quotes

A lot has been said about poker. These are some of the best poker quotes ever said. Give it a read. You might earn a chip or two.

“You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once.”
– Amarillo Slim Preston

Make them come back

What Preston means by this poker quote is to make your opponents come back for more. That is the essential point of Amarillo Slim Prestons quote. Beat your opponent, don’t intimidate them.
Bonus: I also heard this poker quote in Rounders and I don’t really know who said it first. 

“If you can’t spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker.”
– Mike McDermott

The Sucker

As Mike McDermott aka. Matt Damon says, someone is always the sucker at the table. This quote reminds us of exactly that. The question is: Are you fast enough to know if it is yourself who is the sucker?

“If there weren’t luck involved, I would win every time.”
– Phil Hellmuth

Everyone has been thinking this

Do not lie. If you have not heard it, read it or said it – you have definitely thought of it to yourself. Apparently, opponents luck is the only thing that stands between you and the pot (of gold).

“Poker is a lot like sex. Everyone thinks they are the best, but most don’t have a clue what they are doing.”
– Dutch Boyd

Probably true

Another way of saying “Fake it till you make it”.

“Poker is a skill game pretending to be a chance game.”
– James Altucher

Game of skill

Yes. It. Is. There is a human craft behind playing poker. You have know the mechanics of the game, but also how to read your opponent. Once you do, you will learn, that skills beat chance and pros beat noobs. It’s no coincidence that it’s always the same guys at the finale table.

Poker Night with Friends

Make your own Poker Quotes

Time for some shameless self promotion – but I think you will like it. With the EasyPoker app you can easily create a game of live social poker and play with your friends. It’s designed to be played face to face. If you’re into poker then you should check it out.

Get EasyPoker

Missing your Favorite Poker Quotes?

Do you have a favourite quote you would like to share? Then write it in the comments below. We are always happy to get feedback from our dear poker community.

Take a look at some of our other blogs and look forward to a lot of exciting news on our app.


Home Poker Tournament

So you’re planning a poker night with your friends and family? That sounds fun! But in order for you to successfully host a poker night you need to have a plan. Luckily we’ve made a to-do for the perfect poker night.

1. Know your rules

First you need to decide what kind of poker you are playing. There are lots of different types of poker games out there so you need to choose which game to play. The most common poker game is Texas Hold’em. Next step is to know all the rules, how big your buy in is and how the hands are ranking.
We’ve made a quick and simle video showing you How to Play Poker.

You should also plan on when you raise the blinds (or if you are doing this at all). When I play poker I normally like to raise the blinds every 15 minutes.

Bonus tip: If you plan on having a cash buy-in, then make sure to collect the money up front. This makes sure that no one forgets about it after the game. It’s also very motivating for players when they have actually seen the potential winnings in the pot. 

2. Have the right facilities

poker night massageYou will need (of cause) a full poker set with playing cards and poker chips (or the EasyPoker app). Other than that you should have a big table and chairs to sit all players. If you are a perfectionist the table should be round or oval and have a green tablecloth. Remember to leave enough space for the players chips, cards, beverage or what else they might need while playing.

If you are a cool host you should plan a surprise visit from a massage therapist that can massage players during the poker game. This will truly make you popular among the friends and can help you focus even better during the poker night.   

3. Use music to set the tone

Music is an important element of the poker night. It should just be a subtle thing in the background to set the tone. I like to use a mix of jazz, old songs, classic music and some soundtracks from Casino Royale and Rounders.

Feel free to use our Playlist on Spotify

4. Create an Atmosphere

Music is a great way to set the tone. But you will also have to create a more casino like vibe in your house. Clean up your place, lower the lights and pull out the heavy Chesterfield furniture (if you have those).

Make sure to keep the room darken with a light on the poker table. LED strips and Hue lights are also great for creating an exciting poker night atmosphere with warm tones.  

5. Snacks & Beverages

It is important to have finger foods and snacks such as chips with dip, nuts, crackers, popcorn, pigs in a blanket, pretzels etc. Everything that does not require the player to have a plate will work.

It’s a good idea to have both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages when playing. It’s always cool to have a straight up whisky or cognac but if you don’t like that, you could go for a whisky sour (one of my favorites).

Poker Night with Friends

Poker Night wherever you are

Hosting a poker night is fun but also a lot of work. You often need to plan your night of playing poker weeks in advance. But what about those spontaneous poker games when you’re just hanging out? Chances are that you are not carrying around a poker set, so you will need to figure out something else (or end up not playing at all…). But don’t worry – we have your back. Just download the free EasyPoker app and you’re ready to go. No need for poker chips, playing cards or a table.

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Poker Movies you Need to Watch (Top 5)

We (the EasyPoker team) have created a top 5 list of what we think are the Best Poker Movies ever made. A
favorite pastime of ours is watching poker movies. So pop some popcorn and enjoy the bests of bets and bluffs and watch with your fellow movie buffs (That rhymed. Unintentional.).

5. Oceans 11 (2001)

By Steven Soderbergh

The ratpack remake of the 1960’s movie of the same name, is a fast-paced American heist
movie – spiced with a dose of great one-liners such as: “We’re in Barney. Barney Rubble.
Trouble!”. Poker is far from the   main-theme, but as the team hits the tables, we are introduced to
a world of gambling and the shiny lights of Las Vegas. This gives Oceans 11 a top five spot on our favorite poker movies list. 
A favorite scene of mine is when Brad Pitt and George Clooney try to hustle a few ‘rookies’ in a
game of poker – that the rookies are portrayed as their real self actors, makes the scene even
more enjoyable to watch.

Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and oh so many other top notch actors.
IMDB: 7.8 (That’s pretty damn high)

4. Maverick (1994)

By Richard Donner

Mel Gibson is the slick gunslinger and poker player, Bret Maverick. When the submission for

a poker tournament is too high, Maverick finds himself in a desperate need of money. Throw
in a charming thief, high-pursuit horse chases and Maverick’s funny attempts of hustling
money and you’ll find yourself with one heck of a good poker movie.

Starring: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and James Garner.
IMDB: 7.0 (A highly enjoyable watch with a great rating)

3. The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

By Norman Jewison

A modern David vs. Goliath, as a young and up-and-coming poker player tries to prove himself
against the champ. Steve McQueen aka. The Cincinnati Kid goes head-to-head with Edward. G.
Robinson aka. Lancey Howard.
Women can’t resist him, men want to be him and poker players can’t call his bluff. It’s a
world of no limits and the Cincinnati Kid is taking it all, one game at a time. Working his way
up to the high-stakes table, Lancey Howard will see if the Cincinnati Kid is “all bark and no
bite”.

Starring: Steve McQueen, enough said.
IMDB: 7,3 (An old dog can still learn you new tricks).

2. Casino Royale (2006)

By Martin Campbell

It seems as if tomorrow never comes with the dashing 007 Bond, James Bond that is. The
saga continues with Bond finding himself in the middle of high-stakes poker game. His
adversary is the always brilliant Mads Mikkelsen playing the “ball-crushing” Le Chiffre aka.
Mr. Number/The Cipher. Hot women, dry drinks and a poker movie that combines the best of
action with the intensity of calling someone’s bluff in a game of poker. All in all Casino Royale gets the second highest spot on our best poker movies list.


Starring: Daniel Craig, Judy Dench and Mads Mikkelsen.

IMDB: 8.0 (Chuck Norris doesn’t even score that high. Joke, of course he does).

1. Rounders (1998)

By John Dahl

This classic is old but gold and definitely deserves the top spot on our best poker movies list. The book smart, law-grad Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) gets
reunited with his, just prison released, best friend Worm (Edward Norton). When Worm
lands himself in some trouble, Mike has to return to the table to save his friend in a game of
poker. The movie devotes its love to poker, seen through the eyes of two young punks who
risk everything with the cards they are dealt.
It breaths poker in every sense and you feel the intensity rise with the flop, the turn and the
river. The movie is voted the best poker movie on IMDB as well, so trust the numbers.

Starring: Matt Damon and Edward Norton.
IMDB: 7,3 (Old but gold. Rounders still got it).

What do you think? Please let us know in the comments if we missed a great movie. Have a good time watching!

Make your own Poker Movie

This post was brought to you by EasyPoker. The app that’s connects friends though poker. It’s free and lets you set up your own private poker games – without the hassle. poker with friends

multiplayer poker app

7 Poker Podcasts You Need to Listen to

Looking for some interesting poker podcasts to listen to? Then you have come to the right place. We (the team behind EasyPoker) have created this list with our 7 favorite poker podcasts. Our goal is to update the list every month. 

Red Chip Poker Podcast

By Red Chip Poker

The Official Red Chip Poker Podcast focuses on coaching poker on the go. The podcast will learn you new plays and awesome concepts from some of the best coaches Red Chip Poker has to offer.  

Listen to The Red Chip Poker Podcast here.

Just Hands Poker

By Jackson Laskey & Zach Resnick

This is personally one on my favorite poker podcasts. The podcast give their listeners the opportunity to get under the skin of real life high stakes poker players and how they discuss and analyse poker hands. Just Hands wants to give professional insights that up and coming poker player can implement into their own game.

Listen to Just Hands Poker here

The Breakdown

By The Poker Guys

In this poker podcast Grant and Jonathan breakdown big time poker hands and strategies. The podcast comes out twice a week and helps aspiring poker players to really understand the big game. 

Listen to The Breakdown here.  

Full Contact Poker

By Daniel Negreanupoker podcasts

Also one of my favorite poker podcasts – Mainly because of Daniel.
Although this is not 100% about poker (occasionally hockey stuff are mixed in) it’s still very interesting to get Daniel Negreanu’s perspective on breakdowns of hands, poker news and the poker game in general. 

Listen to Full Contact Poker here.  

Top Pair

By Bruce Briggs & Robbie Strazynski

This podcast is, unlike most poker podcasts on this list, 100% home game themed. The podcast features lots of fun stories and interviews – all about the excitement of the home poker game. 

Listen to Top Pair here.

Smart Poker Study

By Sky Matsuhashi

Sky Matsuhashi’s mission is to make you a better poker player through simple and effective play and study strategies. I think Smart Poker Study is a really interesting poker podcast with easy to swallow content, strategies, analysis and interviews. 

Listen to the podcast here.   

The Postflop Poker Podcast

By Merv Harvey

The Postflop Poker Podcast offers insights and learnings that can be taken on by everyone. The podcast aim to improve your overall game and learn you how to take new plays and concepts directly to the poker table.

Listen to the podcast here.

Are we missing your favorite poker podcasts?

Then please leave a comment (or mail) telling us about the podcast and why it’s missing on our list!


Poker Facts You Probably Didn’t know

We all know that poker is an awesome game that connects people all around the world. At the EasyPoker headquarters we love poker but we don’t really know much about the origin of the poker game. Therefore we decided to do some research (and a little math) to bring you the best, most interesting, and fun poker facts. Have a great read!

1. Biggest win ever

Our first poker fact is about the professional poker star Antonio Esfandiari. In 2012 Esfandiari won $18,346,673 in the WSOP Event 55. This is the biggest official win of a poker tournament. Ever. That’s a lot of money.   

2. Longest game of poker

One of the craziest poker facts is about a really long game of poker. Actually the longest game in history. Some unverified sources claim that a poker game once ran for 8 years, 5 months and 3 days. Apparently the game was held in a small theatre called “Bird Cage Theatre” located in Tombstone, Arizona. Another source confirmed by the Guinness book of world records, claims that the longest game of poker ran for over 14 years. This happened at the Dun Glen hotel in Thurmond, West Virginia.

3. Up for a game of poque?

The first people to play poker was the french residents of New Orleans. They called the game poque. Poque quickly became very popular among the english speaking settlers, which evolved the name to poker.

4. Largest poker tournament in history

Not all poker facts are as crazy as this one. The largest poker tournament in word history was an online event with 253,692 participants. The tournament was hosted by PokerStars UK and had a 10,000 US dollar price. In the end an Austrian man won after having played 470 hands. It’s really crazy when you think about it.

5. Ace of Spades

You might have noticed that the Ace of Spades card is different from the rest of the bunch. It actually stems from the 17th century. Back then laws required the Ace of Spades to bear the insignia of the printing house. This has later become a tradition that most printing houses still follow. This fact is so odd that it really deserves a top spot on our list of the greatest poker facts.   

6. Royal Flush is more common than you think

Most people and websites claim that the chances of getting a royal flush is 649.740:1. But it’s actually “far” easier. The 649.740:1 odds is based on a five cards game. But in a 7 card game like Texas Hold’em the chances are 30.931:1. Told you we would do some math for you.

Poker facts rock

Now you’re filled up on cool and unusual poker facts. Casually tell people these facts at your next poker game to appear cool and smart. And hey, if you want to play face to face poker on the go, then please check out the EasyPoker app

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