Origins Of Poker

Poker is one of the most popular card games in the world. It has spawned many different types of poker games and formats. Poker is very popular outside the game itself, as it also plays a massive part in the entertainment industry. The annual World Series of Poker is one of the most popular events, with thousands of players from all over the globe flocking to Las Vegas to play in the biggest poker tournament in the world. 

So the next time you log onto an online casino to sit at a table and play some poker, be sure to know your history. It is useful to know how the game of poker got started in the United States and all around the world. 

Founded In The Old World

The first recorded history of poker can be traced all the way back to the 10th century in China, where it was believed that an emperor played a game of domino cards that helped lead to the development of poker. It can also be claimed to have started in the 16th century, thanks to a Persian card game. The closest thing to poker that first came to Europe was a game called “Poque”, which was rather popular in France back in the 17th century. 

Brought To The States

However, the word poker was not used to describe the game until 1834, when the term became popular for card games. It was believed to have been brought to the state of Louisiana in the United States by French colonists in 1803. Louisiana was a French territory at the time. Since then, it has been adapted over time, and new variations have been added, including several sets of rules and types of games. 

When poker was first brought to the United States, two types of games were played the majority of the time. French Hulk and English Brag were the favourites among the Frenchman. French Hulk was played with a 20-card deck, and English Brag was played with a full deck, and players were allowed to discard and draw new cards. Both games consisted of players drawing five cards from a half or full four-suit deck. 

Changes

It wasn’t until the Civil War in the United States that poker began receiving several adaptations and new games. Games like stud poker and its many variations were invented, and the straight was also invented. In 1875, the wildcard was added for certain games, and in 1900, lowball and split-pot poker became popular. Community card poker games became popular around 1925. 

Popularity Spike 

It wasn’t until the early 1970s that poker became fairly popular in the United States after the founding of the World Series of Poker. That is when modern tournament play really took off, and it was credited as the biggest breakthrough for the game in the United States in history. In the 1980s, it started being presented as a daily form of entertainment. 

The real boom started in the late 1980s when California legalized flop games like Hold ‘Em, Stud, and Omaha. The second big boom was in 1988 when the United States government enacted Indian gaming laws that legalized gaming on Indian land. In the late 1990s, poker spread across the United States and even started being featured online. That has led us to today, as online poker is arguably just as popular as gambling and casinos.