The Game Room & Gaming

Poker History
Poker is thought to be an ancient game and there is no clear consensus on its actual origins and it appears to be a derivative of many games sharing the same elements as poker. There are several possible origins to the game of poker and the name poker. One of the earliest written references to poker was made by Jonathan Green in 1834 about a card game being played on Mississippi riverboats he called "the cheating game". Finding no reference to it in the Hoyles of the day he called it poker. 2 - 4 people could play with a deck of 20 cards using only the aces, kings, queens, jacks and tens. Some also believe poker originated from the card game brag played around 1825 in the south west of the United States. Whatever the actual origins of the name or the game of poker, it is now the most popular card game in the world garnering television coverage and an enthusiastic following worldwide. Today considered more of a sporting event, the pinnacle of poker achievement is the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Rock-Ola Jukebox
Believe it or not, the name Rock-Ola is actually derived from the name of the company's founder. It also happens to be a real cool name for a jukebox, implying a "rock 'n' roll' play on words. David C. Rockola was born in Canada and as a young boy worked as a mechanic in a shop that repaired coin-operated devices. This article details the history of Rock-Ola, and the site includes jukebox links, photographs, jukebox restoration information and jukebox CDs and records. If you have a Rock-Ola jukebox for sale, the National Jukebox Exchange may be interested in buying it.

An Online Guide to Blackjack
In one form or another, the game of blackjack has been around for at least 300 years. This site traces the history of blackjack from its beginnings in France in the late 18th century up to the modern day, where blackjack is one of the most popular card games in modern casinos. At the end of the history article is a link to the modern day rules of blackjack along with a glossary of common terms. Once you understand the simple rules and the terms you could comfortably play in virtually any casino anywhere in the world. However, in order to minimize the house advantage, there are some simple strategies known as hit/stand rules that can lower the house advantage to virtually nothing, allowing you to play blackjack for hours at a time and seldom lose more than a few dollars. Links on this site lead to additional articles and to online gaming sites where you can play blackjack for real money for, in many cases, play for fun.