FreeUsPoker

Poker is one of the oldest card games that is still largely prevalent in the world. What started as a game in the roman era in the middle of the 15th century has spread like wildfire especially over the last century or two. Though it has its own set of complexities, at the basic level the game seems to be a very simple one. All the people seated at the poker table are distributed a number of cards (based on the specific version of the game being played). All the players place a bet on their cards and the player with the best ‘hand’ at the end of the game wins the money at stake.

One aspect of the game that is of a lot of interest to most people is the nicknames assigned to the poker players. These nicknames are often given to the players by their peers based on the behavior, game performance, personal characteristics and even the attitude towards fellow players. For instance, players who are full of vigor and smartness in their play might be called ‘Mighty Heart’ followed by their name. At other times, nicknames are more for convenience than a description. For example: if Alfred Hitchcock were to play poker, he’d be known as ‘Alfred’ or ‘Alfy’ for ease of pronunciation. And so, poker players cease to use their real names in the game as they are better remembered by their new monikers.

In poker tournaments, new poker-names are quite often assigned based on the player’s occupation and/or hometown. For example: when a wholesaler of fish named Mark takes to the floor, he will be called ‘Mark the Shark’. Or if Harry is from the restaurant business, he could be called ‘Elevator Harry’. Or people might be known by their trade or company of employment. For instance an employee of Nike who’s pretty adept at the game could be called ‘Nike – the best’. Or if Vinu works for Volker, ‘Volker Vinu’ could be his assigned name. Also a point to be remembered is that a name like ‘Derek the cabbie’ is not meant in a derogatory manner but only as recognition.

At other times, people might be referred to by their place of origin. For example: a Singaporean player called Kiazu could be called ‘Singapore Kiazu’ and ‘Bedford Brett’ would refer to a player named Brett hailing from Bedford. Other leads to poker names are characteristic traits like a habit of carrying an umbrella for the ‘Umbrella Man’ or ‘Picky Nathan’ for someone who loves picking a fight.

Poker names often become much more than a name for convenience sake – they become an alternate identity and players might stop responding to their original names. Some of the most famous poker players are now known only by their poker moniker. For example: The Magician’s real name is Antonio Esfandiari (based on profession) and Jesus is actually Chris Ferguson (based on physical characteristics).

So what is your poker name?