The word jackpot is loaded with excitement, triumph and promise. The word is used in every day language. You can hit the jackpot in just about any situation in life, not just in a poker game or on the slot machines.
So where does that word come from? Why jack, and why pot?
I looked around the internet and found that word originated in the 1860's when poker was still evolving from a 20-card game mostly played by crooks, cheats and hustlers into it's more modern form. Someone created a rule that you could not open the betting around the poker table unless you had two jacks, or better. After that, the cards were dealt and if nobody else could top the two jacks, the person who held them won the pot, hence jackpot! Not quite as interesting as I'd hoped...
