The Quirkiness of Online Poker

The cards; the green felt; the women; the glamour. These are all things commonly associated with poker, largely thanks to the romanticizing of the game by Hollywood within our collective cultural unconscious. Yet, studio executives will often say that the motion pictures they make are a window on the world. If the world were not such a quirky place, the quirkiness within the movies would not be present. However, anyone who has played poker in casinos online can vouch that this quirkiness within the game is very real indeed, and is in fact part of the allure of the game itself.

The first thing that draws the attention of new players is the names of the other players around the table. These particular quirks draw from a rich history of exotically named poker players, dating back to the very origins of the game. Casting a brief eye over the annuls of poker history excavate some real gems, like “Amarillo Slim” Preston and Brian “Sailor” Roberts, the latter having earned his nickname from his time with the US Navy.

Naturally, online usernames have rolled with the times, and the need to be distinctive either causes players to freeze like rabbits in the headlights or take the bull by the horns and rampage like a wild rodeo. For any new player, the key is to be distinctive. The idea of “Birmingham” Steve winning a WSOP title is about as dull as any ditchwater from the midlands or otherwise.

The exciting names aside, the other real quirk associated with poker is the jargon. As ER mesmerized audiences with its incessant obsession with accurate medical terminology, so too can the poke lounge seem like an exotic, distant land filled with exciting, unusual people for any new player unfamiliar with the lingo. Terms such as “river”, “fish” and “flop” are par for the course, while more jargonistic phrases such as “rakeback pro”, “on the bubble” or “going south” are just some of the more insulting epithets commonly thrown around the table in an attempt to set players on “tilt”.

Of course, keeping out of these jargon-fuelled tirades can be of benefit to inexperienced players in an online casino, as they will not reveal their relative weakness. However, many players join for the enjoyment first and winnings second, in which case a memorable name and slang hot off the lips are essential for players to immerse themselves in the true atmosphere of the game. It is only in this way that they can truly help to pen another chapter in the great book of poker.