Original: Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt , how hands may be formed , whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown ( in some games , the pot is split between the high and low hands ) , limits on bets and how many rounds of betting are allowed .
Simplified: English actor Joseph Crowell reported that the game was played in New Orleans in 1829 , with a deck of 20 cards , four players betting on which players hand was the most valuable .