Poker is a family of card games

[akash222]

Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually (but not always) hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown (in some games, the pot is split between the high and low hands), limits on bets and how many rounds of betting are allowed. In most modern poker games, the first round of betting begins with some form of forced bet. The action then proceeds to the left. Each player in turn must either match the maximum previous bet or fold, losing all further interest in the hand. A player who matches a bet may also raise, increasing the bet. The betting round ends when all players have either matched the last bet or folded. If all but one player fold on any round, the remaining player collects the pot without showing his hand. If more than one player remains in contention after the final betting round, the hands are shown and the winning hand takes the pot.

[R23Sakamoto]

Isn't rather poker a family of money games ?

cards are just used a a random generator

[chessandpoker]

Originally Posted by R23Sakamoto

Isn't rather poker a family of money games ?

cards are just used a a random generator

I wouldn't classify it that way. Poker is indeed, at its core, a vast family of card games with numerous variations. I clearly understand the money association though, since an integral part of all Poker games involves betting in some form. But we choose to make poker into a real money game, the same as we do with Blackjack, it is not strictly a real money vehicle on its own. You can of course play both blackjack or poker with chips you buy at the local store for fun (we once played with Oreo cookies as the wagering unit nom nom nom) and have no money exchange hands.

Tournament Poker is a great variant to look at concerning this matter, since your actual tournament chips have no value, only your finishing position determines your payout. Every participant in the tournament pays an entry fee, and that amount (minus the rake, or fee which goes to the establishment running the tournament) goes into a community prize pool which pays out based on where you finish the tournament at. The chips you use cannot be simply picked up, carried to the cashier and converted to cash. they are used to keep you alive in the tournament so that you may finish in the money and claim your prize which is independent of your actual chip count at that time (which would be zero if you busted obviously).

To illustrate another counterpoint, we do not generally think of Chess as a money game. However, it is clear that Chess games often have a monetary reward in many cases, from World Championships with their hefty first place prizes to $5 Blitz Chess games against the hustlers and enthusiasts at the park. Once again, it is us who choose to make the wagers. The game itself does not require them to play.

I don't think I explained my thoughts very well but it'll have to do on this early Saturday morning with screaming kids running around and groceries to carry in