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P. 50
2021 מועד חורף - 49 - פרק שני- אנגלית
Text II (Questions 18-22)
(1) For almost two centuries, poker was an illicit game played in the smoke-filled back
rooms of saloons and private clubs. For many years, Nevada, California, and Montana
were the only places in the United States where the game was legal. But today, with
sanctioned casinos in most states, special poker sites on the Internet, and hundreds of
(5) televised tournaments, poker has become legitimate. The recent World Championship
of Poker in Atlantic City, New Jersey, attracted a colorful cast of characters, including
veteran professionals, a young mathematician hoping to implement a sophisticated
strategy, and a group of grandmothers from California representing a weekly poker
game for retirees. The participants were vying for a cash prize of over four million
(10) dollars.
Developed in the United States in the late 1700s, poker is a hybrid of the betting
games "as nas", "poque", "brag", and "Poch", from Persia, France, England, and
Germany, respectively. The game spread rapidly, in part because it was fast-paced and
easy to learn. But its greatest attraction was the fact that players willing to gamble
(15) could make an enormous amount of money in a short amount of time. The potential for
quick financial rewards made the game a magnet for criminal elements. Moral
condemnation by religious leaders followed and, eventually, prohibition by the
government.
Poker's current return to respectability is part of a larger trend in the United States.
(20) Legalized casinos – which offer poker among other gambling games – are opening
across the country. Casting aside previous concerns about the potential moral and
criminal consequences of gambling, many states have found that casinos generate huge
tax revenues and boost tourism.
For the current generation of poker players, the allure of the game is, as it always
(25) was, excitement and the promise of easy money. However, players should not be
surprised to find themselves losers in both respects. Nancy Shute, a first-time
participant in the Atlantic City tournament, says that despite her expectations, she found
the experience "as exciting as watching yogurt". Shute adds that she vows never to play
poker again. She lost all her money in the second round.
Questions
18. The first paragraph is mainly about -
(1) the early history of poker
(2) typical poker players today
(3) the World Championship of Poker
(4) changes in the status of poker
)© כל הזכויות שמורות למרכז ארצי לבחינות ולהערכה (ע"ר
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