The History of Poker

There is some debate as to how Poker was invented. Rumors vary from French to English to German and even Dutch and Persian origins. However the game originated, there is some consensus that some of these earlier games, if not a part from each, has influenced what we know today as Poker. For example the English game of Bragg was known for it’s popular concept “the bluff”. In the early 1800’s there was a game that was made popular in New Orleans that used a deck of cards that contained only 20 cards. The premise of this game was to bet on who had the most valuable hand. The exposure that this game received through Mississippi riverboats helped Poker spread like wild fire. Gambling was a big past time on the riverboats, and people quickly embraced Poker as a favorite.

Through the years many additions have been added to Poker and helped form it into the game we know and love today. In the mid 1800’s the full 52 card deck was introduced which gave way for the popular flush. During the American Civil war new variations of Poker were created by the soldiers while passing time. This time instead of changing the deck the soldiers added a few different rules and twists that made the game interesting in different ways, and has paved the way for most of the Poker rules that we love and enjoy today. For the first time Five Card Stud and Draw Poker were being played and the Straight was a ranking hand. Later in the late 1800’s Poker players came to know and appreciate the new value of the “wild card”.

Since the 1800’s Poker has continued to grow in both popularity as well as variations. In recent years casinos have embraced Poker as it is a favorite amongst gamblers. Poker Tournaments, TV Shows about poker, televised championship poker tournaments, and even online poker games are all testaments to the ever growing popularity poker is experiencing today.

Not to long ago you would find it difficult to find a poker table in a major casino, now you’d be lucky to find a casino that doesn’t offer poker, even with all the other casino games available, the casino’s are finding it difficult to add enough poker tables to satisfy the demand.

Many feel that the growth in popularity of poker can be directly connected to the arrival of internet poker. With the spread of affordable internet access suddenly it became possible to participate in a poker game whenever, and wherever the player wants. No longer do you have to find a casino, plan poker games around busy or worry about planning a weekend away. Finding a Poker game is now just a click away, so you can play whenever, it is convenient for you. You can simply log onto the internet, find an online casino and suddenly you have access to hundreds of games and many different variations of Poker. Online poker has also given people the options to play free Poker, or try their luck at Poker for money.

In the end, whether Poker was created as a game by itself, or if it was formed out of variations of many other games, Poker has taken its seat in casinos and if past trends continue it will continue to grow in popularity and in demand.