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A Brief History of Poker in the United States

It can be tempting to think that the poker boom of the 00s is over and done with, but there are still lingering effects being felt today.

Top players from the boom period, like Chris Moneymaker, are still making waves at tournaments today. Though it isn’t shown on TV as much as it was during its peak, coverage is still provided by CBS Sports after the biggest tournament moved to the new network this year. The tournament that sparked the boom in the first place, the World Series of Poker, is still going strong and returned to Las Vegas this year after a hiatus due to the pandemic. But this is just the largest in a long history of tournaments in the US. From the mid-1800s to today, poker has had a strong place in American history and popular culture.

Early Versions

The earliest card games date back to Europe, the Middle East, and China, but the game that we currently know as poker didn’t take shape until the 1800s in New Orleans. It grew from a French parlor game called Poque and a British game called Brag. As the two cultures mixed, an early form of poker became common in New Orleans gambling dens and quickly spread along the ports of the Mississippi River and across the Caribbean Sea.

In the mid-1800s, the Poque deck was expanded from 20 cards to 52 and the basics of poker came into play. The hand rankings grew to include a flush and straight as well as a pair or three of a kind. The game became increasingly popular among both Confederate and Union soldiers during the American Civil War, with soldiers from different units and areas sharing their version of the game. This helped spread the game throughout the rest of the US, finally reaching the heavily populated Northeast region.

The Wild West Years

At the end of the 19th century, the game had become part of the lore of the Wild West, a period that would eventually spawn an entire genre of film and launch the career of actors like John Wayne. While most legitimate gambling halls featured other games, poker continued to attract players willing to brave the illegal games that were unregulated and frequented by hustlers, criminals, and card sharks. By the time the 1900s came around, the game had largely become standardized into the form we know today. Decks were able to be printed in mass and 5 card stud, popularized in the 1850s California Gold Rush, became the dominant form of the game.

The Rise of Modern Poker

Over the next 100 years, the game didn’t change much, but different variations of the rules have arisen. Texas Hold’em, which rose to fame after the Wild West period faded, continue to be the most popular form of the game, but the biggest change in the game wouldn’t come around until the 20th Century. Online poker sites rose to prominence and resulted in what is called the aforementioned poker boom. Since then, online poker has been a mainstay in the game, while big tournaments command big events on the famed Las Vegas strip.

 

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How to Avoid the Stress that Comes with Homeschooling Your Children

 

 

Given the current health crisis, parents have to decide between sending their children to school and keeping them at home. A school is an ideal place for learning. Students have a chance to interact and develop socially. It’s not only about academic learning but developing other skills. However, there’s also a significant risk of getting sick due to the closed learning environment.

If you decide to keep your children home, you have no choice but to pursue homeschooling. You will still enrol your children in a formal educational setting, but you have a more prominent role to play. It can be stressful if you were not too involved with your children’s studies before. Here are some tips to help you avoid the stress that comes with homeschooling.

Take a break

Just because your children are studying from home doesn’t mean you have to sit beside them all the time. You also deserve a break. If you can’t go to a local spa or book a hotel, transform your house into a spa. You can even remodel the bathroom to make things better. Consider freestanding baths to elevate your bathing experience. You can also start a new hobby. It makes you feel good about being at home and not having the chance to travel to other places.

Teach your children to be independent

Your guidance is necessary for homeschooling. You can’t expect the children to sit in front of the computer and study all the time. They might get distracted. You’re there to ensure that they do the right thing and make the most of the class hours. However, you can’t hold their hands forever. You should also teach them to be more independent. They have to develop study habits and finish the required tasks without your assistance all the time. You can be there at first, but it’s not ideal to be there all the time.

Communicate with the teachers

Build an excellent relationship with the teachers. They will tell you how your children perform in the online class. They can also teach techniques in teaching the lessons that you can use at home. With their help, it won’t be too much of a burden for you. They will tell you where your child is, relative to the other students in the class.

Don’t forget your “me” time

Since you’re at home all the time, it’s easy to forget about yourself. You get burdened by the chores. You also have to look after all your children. The truth is you deserve to have your “me” time. It allows you to recharge and recover. You might take it out on your children if you don’t get enough rest or the opportunity to do what you want.

With these tips, homeschooling won’t be a burden anymore. Instead, you will enjoy the process and feel more relaxed. You can also provide better attention to your children’s education and help them get through this tough time.

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Who Was The 43rd President?

Who was the 43rd president? The 43rd president of the United States was George W. Bush. Bush served as the president of the United States, from his inauguration in 2001 to 2009. To discover a few interesting facts about Bush’s background and his two terms as president, simply continue reading.

Everything you need to know about George W. Bush:

He followed in his father’s footsteps:

George W. Bush wasn’t the first Bush to serve as the president of the United States and his father George H.W. Bush occupied the White House between 1989 and 1993.

He graduated from both Yale and Harvard:

Bush is highly educated and graduated from Yale in 1968 and the Harvard Business School in 1975.

Bush originally worked in the oil industry:

Prior to getting into politics, Bush originally worked in the oil industry.

He was the president during the infamous September 11 terrorist attack:

One of the most defining moments of Bush’s presidency was the infamous September 11 terrorist attack which saw terrorists hijack numerous planes. One of which crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, which caused the towers to crumble and for close to 3,000 individuals to lose their lives. After the attack, Bush declared a war on terrorism and ordered the US military to invade and occupy Afghanistan. In order to try and put an end to the Afghanistan-based Islamic terrorist group, Al Quaeda who claimed responsibility for the September 11 terrorist attack.

Bush also invaded Iraq:

In 2003 the Bush administration also invaded Iraq. As Bush claimed that Saddam Hussein the leader of Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction. While many individuals agreed with Bush’s decision, there was intense scrutiny by some individuals who argued that there was no evidence that Iraq had hidden weapons of mass destruction or formed an alliance with Al Queada.

Bush was reelected in 2004:

In 2004 Bush was reelected after defeating his opponent John Kerry in the presidential election.

Bush was the president during the 2008 economic crisis:

Another of Bush’s challenges as president was dealing with the 2008 economic crisis, during which the world plunged into a recession.

Assassination attempt:

In 2005 a man by the name of Vladimir Arutyunian attempted to throw a live hand grenade at a podium on which Bush was speaking, during an event in the city of Tbilisi, Georgia. Which is located in Europe and is not to be confused with the state of Georgia, in the United States. Fortunately, Bush was not harmed. While Arutyunian threw the live grenade at the podium, it ended up not exploding when it hit a girl who was standing close to the podium.

Art and retirement:

After retiring from politics and business, Bush followed his passion for art and has painted portraits of world leaders as well of himself. Bush has also taken to writing and has published a couple of autobiographical books.

In conclusion:

Bush had a successful two-term stint as the president of the United States and navigated many tricky challenges such as the 2008 economic recession and the September 11 terrorist attack.

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A Guide To The USS Kawishiwi

The USS Kawishiwi was initially commissioned in 1954 and remained in commission until her retirement in 1979. To discover a few facts about the USS Kawishiwi, simply continue reading. Especially if you have a keen interest in military history or naval history. Or alternatively, you may be interested in learning fun facts about the USS Kawishiwi if you have a family member or friend who served time on her, in the past.

It was named after a well-known river in Minnesota:

If you were curious about how the USS Kawishiwi got its name, it was named after the Kawishiwi River in Minnesota.

It served as an oiler:

From 1954 to 1973 the USS Kawishiwi served as an oiler that transported much-needed oil to US Navy ships that were based in the Pacific and Asia. Some of the locations that the USS Kawishiwi frequented included the Hawaiian Islands and Vietnam. Oilers were and are a crucial part of the US Navy as they are responsible for transporting oil to all of the country’s naval ships which are based around the world.

Her home port was Pearl Harbor:

Her home port was Pearl Harbor which was located on the most populous of the Hawaiian Islands, Oahu. Although for a lot of her life she ended up being based in Vietnam. For example, in 1966 she spent half the year refueling US ships in Vietnam’s waters before heading back to her home base in Hawaii.

During 1970-1971 she delivered mail as well as oil:

From 1970-1971, which was towards the end of her active military service, the USS Kawishiwi was commissioned to deliver mail as well as oil. During this time period, she delivered 250,000 of mail throughout Vietnam.

She continued her services with a civilian crew between 1978 and 1992:

When she was struck from the Navy’s list of active ships in 1992, the USS Kawishiwi continued her services but with an all civilian crew. She was eventually retired from this duty in 1992.

She was eventually scrapped:

The USS Kawishiwi was scrapped at Brownsville, Texas in April 2014. However, initially, the plan was to sink the USS Kawishiwi so that she could create a natural reef that could be explored by keen divers. The plan at the time was to create a natural reef off the coast of California. However, this plan was seen as too costly and she was eventually scrapped for parts.

USS Kawishiwi ao 146 reunion:

The crew members of the USS Kawishiwi ao hold frequent reunions. As an example, in 2015 the ship’s former crew mates took a tour of Angel Island, in San Fransisco together. If you served on the USS Kawishiwi, you can find out about future reunions through the official Facebook page. Which is kept up to date.

In conclusion, if you were searching for information about the USS Kawishiwi, hopefully, you discovered a few fascinating facts. Especially if you have a great interest in military history or naval history.

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Everything That You Need To Know About The USS America & The USS Pope

If you’re interested in the history of some of America’s battleships and are curious about the lives of the USS America and the USS Pope, simply continue reading to discover a few fascinating facts about each ship.

She was launched in 1964:

The USS America was launched in 1964 after being commissioned in 1961.

It was the only US supercarrier to be sunk:

You may be surprised to learn that the USS America is the only US supercarrier that has even been sunk, either intentionally or during combat.

The USS America cv 66 sinking was controversial:

The USS America sinking was controversial as originally the plan was for the supercarrier to be scrapped for parts, which would then be sold. However, in the end, the decision was made to sink the carrier during a live-fire test, in order to aid the future design of supercarriers. However, former crew members and supporters were unhappy with the decision and felt that the decision to sink a ship that was named the USS America was disrespectful and instead lobbied to turn the USS America into a museum ship. Ultimately the USS America was sunk as it was seen as a less costly option than turning the USS America into a museum or scrapping it.

The USS America now lies in its final resting place which is located approximately 250 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras. It is located a staggering 16,860 feet under the sea.

Everything that you need to know about the USS Pope:

It was commissioned in 1919, which was the year that the Treaty of Versailles was signed and marked the end of WWI. While the USS Pope was not a part of WWI it did serve during WWII.

It was used during WWII:

The USS Pope served during WWII and was a Clemson class destroyer. During the early stages of WWII, the USS Pope was engaged in fighting in the Dutch East Indies. For example, it was one of the five ships that was ordered to escort the Bloemfontein to safety. One of the USS Pope’s greatest accomplishments was delaying the Japanese landings at Balikpapan.

She was named after John Pope:

John Pope, for who the USS Pope was named, was a famous naval officer who served in the Mediterranean, the West Indies, Brazil, and Africa. John Pope actually had the honor of having not one but two military ships named after him.

She evacuated Americans from China:

She was charged with the responsibility of helping evacuate Americans from China when the Japanese invaded the region of Manchuria.

She was eventually sunk by a Japanese aircraft:

The USS Pope met its end in 1942 when it was sunk by a Japanese aircraft.

In conclusion, if you love learning about historic American warships, hopefully, you found learning about the USS Pope and the USS America interesting. Especially if you have an interest in learning about WWII and the US participation in WWII.

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