Poker history is full of fascinating twists and turns, reflecting the complexity of this popular card game played passionately around the world. With approximately 10,000 different games played using a standard 52-card deck, poker reigns supreme as the king of card games. The earliest mentions of poker can be found in two unrelated publications from the 1840s, written by American gambler Jonathan H. Green and English comedian Joe Cowell. According to these sources, the initial versions of the game involved a 20-card deck evenly dealt among four players.
The 52-card deck was introduced in the mid-1830s, accommodating more players and allowing for additional combinations. Poker history can be traced back to 17th century France and the game called Poque, which was based on the Spanish game Primero, played in the 16th century. French colonists brought Poque to their North American settlements, including New Orleans, which became part of the United States following the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.
Bluffing Games that Influenced Poker
Numerous bluffing games potentially influenced the development of poker. Among the three-card games that preceded modern poker are Belle, Flux & Trente-un, Post & Pair, and Brelan. Bouillotte and Brag appear to have the most relevance to the emergence of poker. Four-card games often described as predecessors of poker include Primiera, Gilet, Mus, and Ambigu. However, recent studies have shown that none of these games has much to do with the origins of poker.
The game that seems the most likely antecedent of modern poker is a German game called Pochen or Pochspiel, which has its origins in the 15th-century game Bocken. Bocken was also popular in France under the name Glic and later as Poque. Interestingly, the name ‘poker’ has nothing to do with bluffing, as the name of the game that lent its name to the modern game, Pochen, means to hit, to strike, or to knock on the table.
Birth of Texas Hold’Em
Texas Hold’Em, the world’s most popular version of poker, was invented around 1925 in a small town called Robstown, just outside Corpus Christi. It took a while for Texans to sell the idea to Las Vegas, but by 1969, the new game was on offer at the Dunes Casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip, boosting the visibility of the new poker variant. Texas Hold’Em owes its immense popularity to its biggest tournament, The World Series Of Poker, which began in 1969.
Poker history dates back to the 19th century in Europe, with the game’s evolution influenced by various card games popular in different countries. However, poker as we know it today originated in New Orleans and eventually made its way to Texas, where it took its final form.
World Series of Poker
In the early 20th century, the Gambling Fraternity Convention hosted a poker tournament that included Texas Hold ’em. However, the event was not successful until Benny Binion, a gambling icon and career criminal, moved it to his Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. Binion changed the contest title to the World Series of Poker, which has been the tournament’s name ever since.
After the first year of the World Series of Poker, journalist Tom Thackery proposed that the main event should be No-Limit Texas Hold’Em. Since then, No-Limit Texas Hold’Em has been the tournament’s main event, and the WSOP has exploded in popularity through live TV, with hundreds of players applying for the tournament nowadays.
Online Poker Revolution
Online poker had a shady, illegal reputation until January 1, 1998, when planetpoker.com became the first website to offer real money poker legally. It had an excellent run for several years until other poker sites took over, with partypoker.com quickly becoming the #1 online poker site, followed closely by PokerStars, which is now the most visited poker site in the world.
Today, poker is enjoyed by millions of people worldwide, with casinos devoting entire floors to poker rooms and online casinos offering non-stop poker entertainment. If you want to learn how to play poker, there are plenty of resources available online to help you get started. Join us on the Forum to continue the poker discussion!