But I am no poker fanatic. Royal flush, four of a kind, full house. Everybody knows these terms and, sure, legends of whiskey-drinking con men and gun-toting outlaws appeal to me. But the game, which is, I was soon to learn, nearly 200 years old, remains a hazardous undertaking that has its own complicated set of rules. As it is described in one of the many old poker wisdoms dispersed about the walls of the exhibition: “Poker is not a game about life and death; it’s much worse”.

Aside from its menacing reputation, experts also point out the many positive qualities of the game. Since its beginnings in the 19th century, poker – or “bluff” – gained steadily in popularity. From the US to China, people from all over the world began gathering around the poker table.

I discovered that playing poker is a great way to learn how to deal with risks, as decisions during play are based on probability and psychology. “To host an exhibition about poker is quite tricky,” says Filip Cremers, curator of the Playing Card Museum. “It took us some time to figure out how to convey this intricate game to the audience, so those who are unfamiliar with poker can still get a grasp of its history.”

Outlaw status

Poker in its modern form emerged in the 1820s in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a simple game with a deck of 20 cards and four players. “Though it was thought to be an American invention, its origins date back to European precursors,” explains Cremers.

“The basic idea was brought to New Orleans from France and bears a strong resemblance to European gambling games like poque.” As it spread north and to the west during the gold rush, poker attracted fortune seekers and adventurers. The game fanned out to the rest of the country by Mississippi river boats, on which gambling was a successful leisure activity. Some shipping owners even transformed their boats into floating saloons. It was a matter of making easy money while entertaining passengers. “Poker is essentially a game about raising the stakes,” says Cremers. “But even more so, it’s a game about money.”

This explains how the game got its infamous outlaw status – associations with the relatively lawless Old West, the many stories of violence (like Wild Bill Hickok's “dead man’s hand”) and the widespread cheating. This image of romantic danger was further amplified by popular literature, comic books and later films. The American government and Catholic church took measures to warn people against gambling and its addictive excesses.

“The earliest Dutch report on poker dates back to 1890,” says Cremers. “It was a news bulletin about an American clerk who squandered thousands of dollars in government money.” Casino Royale By the latter part of the 20th century, poker finally became a global phenomenon, evolving from seedy backrooms to flashy casinos and becoming a sporting event with competitions and tournaments taking place somewhere in the world almost every week. It has gone from being primarily a pastime – bound to small groups of mostly male enthusiasts – to a widely popular spectator activity with international audiences and multi-million dollar prizes. And women are a constantly growing part of that interest.

In 1970, the first World Series of Poker – the official world championship – was held in a Las Vegas casino. This annual event attracts players from all over the world to compete for money and titles as the world's top poker players. Last November, the 22-year-old German Pius Heinz claimed the champion title, which garnered him $8.7 million – in cash. (An equivalent pile of paper bills is shown at the exhibition.)

In the last decade, more and more young people have been attracted to the challenges of this much celebrated card game. Players can now find literally hundreds of variations, both online and at local casinos and poker rooms. “Obviously the glamorous side of poker was encouraged by the success of the 2006 Bond movie Casino Royale,” says Cremers.

One of the key moments in that film takes place during a high-stakes poker game. Turnhout’s Cartamundi – a worldwide leader in the production and sales of playing cards – printed a special deck that was used in the film. You’ll find it at the exhibition, along with other unique sets of playing cards, such as those used in the cabins of military submarines.

Poker aficionados will undoubtedly find the Poker exhibition to their liking, but novices can also learn a lot here, travelling through time to get a grasp of the history of the game and its European precursors, discovering the various alternatives of play and getting to know different gambling techniques.

This small but charming exhibition deserves nothing less than a full house.

Poker

Until 22 October
National Playing Card Museum
Druivenstraat 18, Turnhout
➟➟ www.tram41.be

National Playing Card Museum

In 1826, entrepreneur Pieter Jozef Brepols printed his very first playing card. The market was ripe and the business brisk. By the 20th century, Brepols was the only playing card manufacturer in the low countries, and it led to the forming of Cartamundi in 1970 – one of the biggest players in the world in card manufacturing. It sells cards all over the world, including healthy business in the US, Russia and China, and is a licensed manufacturer for Walt Disney, Harry Potter and James Bond movies.

The National Playing Card Museum opened in 1996, one of the few in the world devoted to the history of playing cards. With its vast collection of cards dating back to the 16th century and historical documents as old as 1100 BC, visitors can get interactively acquainted with this unique graphics industry.

The museum also emphasises the many technical aspects of the card game industry, demonstrating different printing procedures, while temporary exhibitions show different aspects of card games. The icing on the cake is the colossal and splendidly restored steam engine, unique in Europe.