Poker Trivia Unearthed

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Playing cards were invented in China
An English actor Joseph Crowell stated that in 1829 the game was being played in New Orleans with a 20-card deck. The game consisted of the four players betting on whose hand was more valuable.
In 1843, in his book An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling, Jonathan H. Green explained how the Mississippi riverboats, on which the 20-card game was a favorite pass-time, were instrumental in spreading the game from New Orleans to rest of the country.
It is said that in 1800s about 2,000 to 2,500 riverboat gamblers played poker on American Waterways.
According to accounts, no more than four of 2000 riverboat poker players were honest all the time. A straight beat a flush at this time.
The 52-card deck soon followed the 20-card deck and flush was introduced.
Many variation of poker surfaced during the American Civil War including draw poker, stud poker (the five-card variant), and the straight. Further American developments followed, such as the wild card (around 1875), lowball and split-pot poker (around 1900), and community card poker games (around 1925).
The credit of spreading the game to other countries especially Asia is given to the US Army.
A fifth suit was added in 1937 but never caught on because people had to buy all new decks.
In 1942, when Columbus landed in North America, his men plucked wide leaves from trees, drew pictures on them and played cards.
Due to the French influence, Spades represent Royalty, Diamonds- Merchants, Clubs- the peasants, and hearts- the clergy.
Phrases like- ace in the hole, ace up one's sleeve, beats me, blue chip, call one's bluff, cash in, high roller, pass the buck, poker face, stack up, up the ante, when the chips are down, wild card, and others which are now part of the American culture and the English culture, are actually terms used in poker.
The World Series of Poker began in 1970.
It was only in 1970 after this series, that modern tournament play became popular in American Casinos.
The US TV channel that covers the World Series of Poker is the Travel Channel.
Texas Holdem was originally played only by criminals and later it was made popular by Doyle Brunson.
About 65,000,000 Americans are regular poker players.
Las Vegas Casinos are NOT legally compelled to pay off their gambling debts.
In poker Fish is a term used to indicate a sucker on the table
A ‘bully in poker is to bluff at ever possible opportunity
In poker coffeehouse means to make annoying small talk on the table while the game is on
Former President Richard Nixon won $6,000 in poker within his first two months in the U.S. Navy during WW ll. That roughly anounts to $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, which he won.
Dead mans hand consists of Aces and Eights
Edmond Hoyle, an English card game Authority also known as Father of the Whist, lived to be 97, but died 150 years before Poker was invented.
Its generally agreed by historians that Bill Hickock, a legendary figure in the American Wild West, was a lousy poker player.
The Dead Mans hand can be attributed to Wild Bill Hickock. He was shot in the back at the age of 39 by crooked nose McCall. He had been playing poker and was holding 2 aces and eights. He was enshrined in the Poker Hall of Fame in 1979.
Phil Ivey used to work as a tele-marketer in New Brunswick, N. J.
Ben Affleck, the American actor won a major professional poker tournament in 2004 held in LA.
Jennifer Harman has had two kidney transplants
Phil Gordon, a World Poker Tour winner, raises millions of dollars for the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation.
Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer, the 2003 and 2004 WSOP champions, respectively, won their seats to the main event by winning online satellites.
Johnny Moss won the World Series main event in 1970, 1971 and 1974. He was enshrined in the Poker Hall of Fame in 1979.
Dewey Tomko, with almost $3 million dollars in tournament winnings, once had been a kindergarten teacher in Winter Haven, Florida. Dewey owns a casino in Costa Rica.
T. J. Cloutier played in the Canadian Football League, once for the Montreal Allouettes and also for the Toronto Argonauts.
Greg Raymer, 2004 World Series of Poker winner is a former patent attorney from Connecticut.
According to Michael Craig in his book The Professor, The Banker, and The Suicide King, Andy Beal, a billionaire banker from Houston is said to have lost $20 million dollars to a team of pros including Lederer, Jen Harman, Barry Greenstein, Ted Forrest, and others.
Howard Lederers sister called him a two bit, losing gambler.