Genesis 11:1-9 To this point of time in the Bible, the world had but one language, just one uniform way for all people of the world to communicate. God confounded their language and caused them to speak disparate languages so they would not understand each other. Furthermore, god taught them to play Poker but supplied discordant rules.
Babel 1:1-2 began describing the turmoil of starting a “new” Poker game. I remember many years back when I would attend meetings of the Kinsman Cousins Club, a group of my cousins and quasi-cousins [whose relationship to each other was not questionable, but confusing–when all was lost, related through Tanta from Brownsville (or was it Bronsville?)]. We were all jolly, good friends as well as relatives. For decades, we had monthly meetings, alternating in some rotational manner, at homes (or apartments) of various cousins; yearly, some picnic meetings at places like Van Saun County Park in Bergen County, New Jersey. Yet, whenever we got together (not always the same cousins were at all the same meetings) and the minutes of the last meeting were read and new agenda was completed and after much food was consumed and laughs and catch-ups completed, some of us would attempt to start a Poker game. Usually, we spent more time discussing “ground rules” than playing.
Once, when I was in Chicago at an electronics-business convention, a group of people I had known very well, for a very long time, and I all went to a suite in the hotel at which we were staying and decided to play Poker. It took so long to decide on which games we would play and to explain some of the games, which some of us assumed were academic, we never got the game, per se, going.
At some home Poker games, in declare games, after high-hand(s) and low-hand(s) have been determined, there is betting. There is even dispute over who the first better is. Greater than that difference is that in some games, if there is only one person going in one direction, unchallenged (Let us say there are two lows and one high, as an example.), that one person is restricted from betting–leaving only the active participants to compete, monetarily against each other. The non-challenger must call all bets. However, in other home games, the non-challenger is forced to be the first bettor and must raise all subsequent bets, in many instances effecting the outcome of the competition between (or among) the challenging players all going in the opposite direction of the non-challenger. With all the possible raising that might ensue, marginal hands will be paying a lot of extra money for what might just be a contender and not a winner. In other declare games, there is no betting permitted after declarations are completed. In these instances, after declarations, all hands are revealed and “cards-speak.”
Confused? “Babelrific,” I say! A few years back I played in a game in Marlborough, MA. Talk about dealer’s choice. This game was dealer’s choice personified. In some games the best low was ace, 2, 3, 4, 5 (a wheel); in others, ace, 2, 3, 4, 6. In some games, straights (as in the wheel above) are considered high hands and cannot be played as low hands. In this game, the dealer had to announce not only the game he was dealing, but whether the best low would be a 5 (as in a wheel) or a 6. Most games set one parameter for best low and do not give dealer the option to alter it. The wheel is the most accepted best low. I believe the wheel is the casino standard as well.
How about betting and calling and raising? At some home games you can check and raise. At many friendly games, check-raise is verboten. At some games you may call and then raise if there is a raise after you call. At other games, if you only call, you may not raise, and, if you check, you may not raise. At most games there is a limit as to the number of raises allowed. Usually limited to three (maybe four) raises. Sometimes, if there are only two contenders, raises are unlimited.
In some games, there is no checking allowed, meaning force-betting is in effect. One must either bet, call, raise, or fold. There are no free rounds. In some games, there is what is called protective raising. A protective raise allows a player to actually reduce the amount being raised, limiting the possible loss of the raiser. Let’s say stakes are $1/$5/$10. Person A bets $5 and person B raises $10, making it $15 to person C to call. Person C now raises $1, making total bet $16, limiting his or her exposure depending on the action of the next to act.
What about using mucked (previously discarded) cards if you run out of cards? Rather use common (community cards)? I prefer using mucked cards, but I am probably in the minority?
Lastly, but most importantly, stakes of the game need to be established. Some games might be more fun as pot-limit or no-limit–more so in tournaments though. Perhaps, we’ll get into further discussion, but not now.
NOT JUST POKER 
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