Face Cards In A Deck Of Cards: How Did They Evolve?

• Author: David Patron
• Filed under: Poker
• Date: Jan 30,2010

A military commander in the French army, who was in combat along with Joan of Arc was also an artisan who designed and crafted cards. His name was Etienne de Vignolles, AKA La Hire. Saint Joan so impressed him with her courage and heroic deeds that he removed the knight in the deck in favor of a dame. Decorating cards with religious motifs, or those depicting human forms were not a problem to the Catholic Church. King David was symbolized in the deck with the king of spades with sword in hand and quiver at his feet. Charles the Great was represented by the king of clubs, Julius Caesar became the king of diamonds, and Alexander the Great, the king of hearts. The four sources of western civilization were thus represented by the four kings.

The depiction of what we would call today Queens and Jacks was not as consistent. The queen of spades was drawn in the form of Athena, meant likewise to remind of the warlike Joan of Arc. The queen of diamonds was the beautiful Rachel that Jacob waited for 14 years before be able to take her as wife. The queen of hearts stood for Judith, the heroine who had beheaded Holofernes. While the queen of clubs was a collective image and represented a certain abstract favorite of kings, named Argine, which was apparently an anagram of “regina” (queen), or which possibly meant to suggest Joan of Arc again, since the king of clubs was Charles the Great, the distinguished French Catholic leader.

The jack of spades was the symbol for one of Charlemagne’s knights of the court. Hector stood in for diamonds; La Hire himself for hearts, while clubs were represented by Judas Maccabeus. For the sake of variety, the four jacks depicted four famous knights: Lancelot, Ogier, Roland and Valery. Each knight’s name appeared below their picture on the cards. They were long-haired, clean-shaven youths, warriors wielding battle axes. All of them buy Valery had at their feet a dog similar to a bloodhound. This may have occurred because Valery was also the lead craftsman of the deck.

Still lower on the scale came the cards from 10 to 2, marked by the appropriate number of suit symbols, greatest value accorded to the greater number. The English word “Ace” first meant “unit,” and had French, Spanish, German and other equivalents: as, aas, ass, etc. The Ace stood lower on the scale than 2. However, the medieval Catholic Church viciously opposed such a classification. God was “one,” and hence any game or numeric system which defined His number as the lowest was blaspheme and Satan’s work. Anyone who would not agree had to be convinced by an array of means which were difficult to argue with down at the basement.

Today, the Ace symbolized a kind of quintessence – associated freely with anything from the exposed essence of woman to what the physicists call the “naked singularity” – which is greater in value than any single influential personage. But can a single and the simplest of the cards in the deck stand for anything at once and should one privilege its scientific baseness or metaphysical elevation?

This amorphous debate has been argued for centuries. There are many countries in this world of ours that consider spirit and matter as one and as an important facet of our self-awareness. In these modern times more than ever before, the rational, mystical, quasi-physical and sometimes, sexual elements of a deck of cards are greatly admired. The Ace remains the essential entity of all or nothing, or something of an indeterminate element in the game of cards and life.

More down-to-earth, the cards have always served their utilitarian function – that of an object with which to play games. The hierarchy from King to two to Ace, and the innumerable possible combinations of cards of varying values according to their rarity give much fodder for anyone to project onto the deck whatever social or spiritual aspirations they may have.

The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives Cake Poker Rakeback as well as Rakeback at Poker Heaven.

categories: playing cards,poker,gambling,card games,art,history,recreation,entertainment,art history

Poker: How To Improve Your Game

• Author: David Patron
• Filed under: Poker
• Date: Jan 29,2010

If you wish to improve your game, ditch the arrogance and ego involvement, and don’t depend on the constant repetition of a few rules you learned to get you safely by. The basic step to improvement is to recognize the need for it. Introspection is at the core of every good player as much as technique, luck or insight into their opponents’ minds. Perfectionism is not the answer. The answer lies in the ability to be self-critical and correctly and precisely define your strengths and weaknesses.

Besides bad amateurs and those playing by a fixed set of simple rules, there are those players who discover they actually have a talent, but who do not then try to improve much in any direction. These are rather lazy and uninspired players who prefer to hope that they will eventually knock their opponents out cold every time with one or two great moves.

Hardly anyone excels in every aspect of a complicated process, but to depend on just a few skills is perilous and likely to bring you down over time. Your weaknesses must be acknowledged and tended to. You are not alone at the table and not the only player with insight. Your opponents will discover that you do a few things well and often, and can bypass your play with maneuvers of their own. In the end, they will consistently apply these tactics, and take you by surprise. Why? Because they have taken the time and effort to improve all their poker skills and have the confidence to make a number of creative moves.

No boxer ever boxed with just one hand. Hone your best qualities, but do keep sharpening as many of the other required abilities as you can. The next step towards progressive improvement after you recognize your weaknesses is to learn to do that which, as Bartleby the scrivener would say, “you would rather not to.”

The first step to enlightenment is to understand that the game isn’t worth playing if you don’t play to win. Secondly, improvement is based on acquiring the discipline to form a habit of undertaking tasks you would rather not do. This is not a mechanical exercise, you must understand why it is you are doing it, otherwise you will give up. Following a routine without knowing why and relying on only one or two skills in the hope that the stuff you don’t like will just go away, is not realistic and not playing an engaging game of poker.

Get a vision in your mind of what it would like to be a totally competent player, the rush you get when inspired, the thrill of winning, then you can decide for yourself whether this is a feeling worth pursuing or not. If the imagination to perceive this is lacking or if you do perceive it but find it not worth the battle, you need to be honest with yourself and admit that you haven’t a clue how to be successful at poker. Maybe you don’t even want to be. On the other hand if this vision inspires passion, begin the hard work it requires to see successful results. Just possibly, the energy required to force yourself to work on things you don’t want to work on will give you the confidence you have been seeking. This is rewarding all by itself.

The author of this article plays online poker and gets Rakeback at True Poker where they offer the highest True Poker Rakeback.

categories: improving at poker,poker strategy,poker,games,gambling,recreation,sport

Rush Poker – Strategies For Full Tilt\’s New Poker Format

• Author: Billy Kernow
• Filed under: Poker
• Date: Jan 28,2010

There\’s a new form of poker online and it\’s causing a storm in the online world. Rush poker as it\’s known is a creation of Full Tilt poker and is designed from the ground up to make online poker more fun, with less waiting. and more action.

Rush poker can be Holdem or Omaha, and Stud will be coming soon. The game is played exactly as normal, on 6 or 9 seat tables, but with one huge difference. As soon as a player is no longer in contention to win a pot, they are instantly reseated and dealt a new hand at a new table. This means you can fold preflop, and rather than wait five minutes for the hand to play out, you get right back into the action straight away. This difference means that players don\’t get bored, and can play 3oo or more hand per hour!

Rush poker strategy requires aggressiveness. Since most players will be folding all the time, waiting for a hand like pocket kings, you can raise preflop and steal the blinds. While you won\’t get much chance to read your opponents, since the table keeps changing, the fact is that most players will be folding low hands so you see a flop of 3, 4, 6 and don\’t have to worry too much about someone making a straight. However, the same reasoning means that if you come in with pocket sevens and make trips, your opponents won\’t have a clue and you\’ll probably win a huge pot!

Since players know that a new hand is only seconds away they are more likely to fold marginal or drawing hands, so aggressive raising and reraising pre and post flop and be very effective. Raising pre-flop also prevents the big blind from seeing the flop for free.

Rush poker is not only great fun, but can be really profitable too. You\’ll refine yorru strategy over time, but these tactics outlined here should give you a great start. And the best thing about playing rush is, when you\’re playing 300 or more hands per hour you\’ll be learning and building up that experience fast!

Want to find out more about Rush Poker strategy, then visit Best Poker Sites for poker strategies, articles, videos and bonus codes.

When Is The Time To Stop Playing Poker?

• Author: David Patron
• Filed under: Poker
• Date: Jan 28,2010

We have all rued the day when we overstayed our welcome at those losing rounds of poker. In hindsight, it is easy to see that we should have walked away hours earlier. The problem is, if we did that, we would always be tormented by that jackpot that was just around the corner, awaiting a few more hands. But no, we stay and lose right down to that last grim deal. To make matters worse, since we have no idea why we put up with this torture in the first place, we go back and do it again and again.

It is crucial to be able to stay or leave based on a logical analysis of the situation, not an emotional impulse. If logically you have matters to attend to – liking picking up your wife and kids or attending work – you must be able to leave immediately. Sometimes a desperate hope for by now certainly imminent better luck is so strong that you miss dates and business appointments. But, the longer you stay overdue, the worse you play, because you know you are supposed to be elsewhere and that possibly your are ruining your life and career.

Poker should be undertaken for amusement, not self-flagellation. If you are not having fun, leave the game, before your play and your psyche both suffer. Some players begin by taking up poker for R & R, only to find themselves overwhelmed by the game, yet are glued to their chair for some unknown reason. They are overcome by some obsession to stay the course, unwilling to leave as a loser, but continue to lose and suffer. The well-balanced player will chalk the loss up to experience, maintain their good humor and leave the game, knowing that it isn’t always like this.

To locate the source of the problem, it is crucial to realize that the problem does not really have anything to do with the game itself. If in spite of yourself you persist in a pointless and counterproductive activity you do not enjoy, it must be because you are avoiding something. If poker is not the reason you stay at the table time and time again, yet you don’t know why you are staying, it must be that you are avoiding something unconnected with the game.

This behavior is undoubtedly manifesting itself in other aspects of your life as well. You must refocus to help you uncover the source of your problem. Don’t waste any more time wondering dumbly why you have once again overstayed your playing time by that murderous extra hour and try to concentrate on envisioning yourself in your other day-to-day activities. This may allow you the insight to discover incidences totally unrelated to your poker game where your behavior is the same.

It may be anything really, from dissatisfaction with your work or career to a general inability to deal with loss. Once you discover the connection, it will be easier to decide how to stop playing poker.

The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives Gutshot Rakeback and Ultimate Bet Rakeback.

categories: holdem,hold’em,poker,card games,games,gambling,recreation,sport

UB Referral Code: Get 111 Percent Bonus On Your Poker Money

• Author: Michael Mylar
• Filed under: Poker
• Date: Jan 27,2010

If you are curious about where there is a great place to enjoy poker online, then you should check out Ultimate Bet, now known as UB poker. When you play at UB poker, you get professional tools and software to enable you to play in the toughest games available online. The reason why these games are the toughest available online is because there are a lot of different professional poker players who use UB poker as their source for online poker games. You also get the largest bonus when you sign up with a UB referral code.

This poker site also has many other reasons why it is one of the most entertaining poker sites you can join today. When you are playing on UB, you get to take advantage of the most advanced table menus offered to poker players by the Internet poker industry. This makes the process of finding the right game for you to join very easy.

UB poker has many professional players who prefer their site over all of the other options available online. This is a very good way to tell which poker sites are the best around online, because the poker professionals have tested and tried every other poker website available. They have chosen UB poker for their superior facilities and players. This is an easy way to skip testing all the different poker sites available and just go straight the very best offered for you to use today.

There also many high-stakes poker players who joined UB for their poker play. That is why this is a good place to play poker. There are always many games open for anyone who wants to join at any level of play. There are many other good reasons to join UB as well.

One feature many players talk highly about at UB is the fact that their tables have the best design. The software of UB makes the tables appear very unique in the online poker field, because when you sit at one of these tables, it feels as if you\’re in a real poker casino. Sometimes, if you go to other websites, they have a very digital feel to their poker experience. When a poker table has a digital feel to it, it can sometimes take away from the experience of playing poker. If you play at UB, it will feel as if you are playing at a real poker table.

One of the greatest financial benefits you can receive from joining UB poker today is the fact that you get the highest bonus available in the industry upon your first deposit. This is very significant, because when you have the highest bonus in the industry provided to you, you get the most money from your poker play when you start entering tournaments and table games.

UB\’s bonus is worth 111 percent of your initial deposit. This bonus is worth up to 1,100 dollars if you deposit a sufficient amount of money. If you need to figure out how much your deposit will be worth, simply multiply the value of your initial funds by 1.11.

To attain the highest bonus in the industry, simply enter the UB Referral Code: UBALLIN while signing up.

If you are looking to get a huge ub bonus at sign up visit ub referral code. Everyone must have the software before they can sign up, get it at the site ub download.