No one knows surely where poker games originated, when it originated, or how it got its name. The basic principle of poker game is that the most unusual combination of cards is the winning hand. This is such an obvious basis for a game that there may have been ancestors of poker stretching back to the year 894 A.D., when playing cards were invented (by the Chinese). At least 400 years ago the Persians had a game called As Nas in which there was a 20-card deck, four players, five cards dealt to each, and wagers on which player had the best hand. Since no cards were left over, there could be no draw; and the idea of stud poker had not yet been thought of. As early as the 1600s the Germans had a game they called pochen, their word for "bluff" or "brag," and from this game developed the early English game Brag and the French game Poque. It cannot be proved, but it is irresistibly plausible, that our name, poker, derived from the French Poque.

Until the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, New Orleans and the entire Mississippi River valley were French territory. The people spoke French, and if they played card games they played French card games. After the Louisiana Purchase, thousands of English speaking citizens of the new United States poured into the ter­ritory and took over the city of New Orleans and the Mississippi Valley, but they could not help being influenced by the French customs and terms. So they adopted the French game Poque but changed its name to the familiar English word poker game. That, at least, is the logical assumption; and while no one can prove it, all poker historians have accepted it.

Poker is a complicated game. Here ou can learn the finer points of advanced strategy, keep these ideas in your mind:

Be patient. Fold early and often. The idea is to only play when you have an advantage. The sad truth is, most of the time you don't have an edge and you can tell just by looking at your first cards. By folding a lot early, you give yourself a stronger average hand when you do play.

Be aggressive. Don't be afraid to raise. The fewer opponents that are in the pot with you, the more inclined you should be to raise instead of call. Often the best choice is to raise, next best is to fold and the worst choice is to call. The exception is when there are a lot of other players in the pot.

Know when you're beat. Okay, so you started with a strong hand and have been doing a lot of raising. But now this other guy just won't quit reraising you and your hand hasn't improved.

Keep an eye on the pot. The smaller the pot is, the stronger your hand needs to be to continue. Even a good draw in a tiny pot is not worth the cost. But conversely, a long shot draw becomes profitable in a large pot. When it's your opponent that is drawing, remember that his profit is your loss.

Get inside your opponent's head. What do you think he has? What do you think he thinks you have? What does he think you think he has? If you can outsmart your opponent on this level, you have the advantage. But it takes practice. New players tend to concentrate too much on their own hand. It's just as important to understand what your opponent might have as well.