Poker History
The
history of Poker is thought to have evolved over more than ten
centuries from various games, all involving the basic principals of
ranked card or domino combinations and the use of ‘bluffing’ to deceive
opponents. One popular
belief is that a game similar to poker was first invented by the
Chinese sometime before 969 A.D, when The Emperor Mu-tsung is reported
to have played "domino cards" with his wife on new years eve. Egyptians
in the 12th & 13th centuries are known to have used a form of
playing cards, and in 16th century Persia “Ganjifa” or “Treasure Cards”
were used for a variety of betting games. A Ganjifa deck consisted of
96 elaborate cards, often made of paper thin slices of ivory or
precious wood. The Persians played “As Nas” which utilized 25 cards,
rounds of betting and hierarchical hand rankings.
A
French game named “Poque” and a German game named “Pochen” became very
popular in the 17 & 18th centuries, both developed from the 16th
century Spanish game called “Primero” which involved three cards being
dealt to each player. Bluffing, or betting high stakes whilst holding
poor cards to deceive opponents, was an integral part of the game.
Primero dates back to 1526 and is often referred to as “poker’s mother”
as it is the first confirmed version of a game directly related to
modern day poker.French colonials imported the game to the new world
when they arrived in Canada. Their beloved poque was the national card
game of France and from the beginning of the 18th century, when a hardy
group of French-Canadian settlers founded New Orleans, it spread from
the state of Louisiana up the Mississippi river and then throughout the
whole country.
In
1834, Jonathan H. Green made one of the earliest written references to
poker when in his writing he mentions rules to the "cheating game,"
being played on Mississippi riverboats. The Cheating Game" quickly
began to supplant the popular cardsharp game of 3-card monte on the
gambling circuit. Gamers embraced the new game as it was perceived as a
more challenging and 'honest' gamble than the notoriously rigged 3-card
game. Green took more than a passing interest in the new game and took
it upon himself to formally name and document the 'Cheating Game' in
his book 'An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling': Poker was
born.
During the Wild West period
of United States history, a saloon with a Poker table could be found in
just about every town from coast to coast. It was extremely popular
during the Civil War when the soldiers of both armies played. European
influence of poker ended when the joker was introduced as a wild card
in 1875.
In
just over two centuries, poker has never looked back. Since its humble
beginning on the banks of the Mississippi, the popularity of this
widely played game has grown in leaps and bounds to evolve numerous
variations and sub-variations. 
There have been three games that have, in turn, dominated the modern poker scene:
5 Card Draw rose from relative obscurity during the American Civil War to the most popular game for almost a century.
Nevada
made it a felony to run a betting game. However the Attorney General of
California declared that draw poker was based upon skill and therefore
the anti-gambling laws could not stop it. But stud poker was still
deemed illegal as it was based solely on chance. With this decision,
draw poker games developed and grew. This caused Nevada to reverse
itself in 1931 and legalize casino gambling.
7 Card Stud
then took over the throne shortly before WWII and maintained its
position for about 40 years with the help of the new and thriving Las
Vegas casino industry.
Texas Hold’em,
christened the ‘cadillac of poker’ rose to promienence in the 1970's
when it was featured as the title game in the World Series of Poker.
Today, Texas Hold’em is indisputably the most frequently played and
most popular poker game in the world, played in casinos and on home
game tables the world over.
Other
variations such as Omaha, Stud Poker, Manila, Draw Poker and Razz are
also popular, but nothing can compete with the thrill of No Limit Texas
Hold’em.
No
Limit Texas Hold’em played at The World Series of Poker and the World
Poker Tour have been captivating American television audiences to the
point that there are now made for TV events such as the National Heads
Up Poker Championship and the World Series of Poker Tournament of
Champions being filmed especially for TV and shown in prime time.
Poker
looks like it is here to stay and it’s popularity has never been as
widespread nor growing as quickly as it is right now. With the wealth
of poker information available online, and the relative ease of logging
on and playing with other poker players from around the world, there is
no time like the present to join the poker craze.
