A Look Back: The History of Poker

As the world's most popular card game, Poker has a rich history that dates back to as early as the 19^th century. This means that people from different cultures have been enjoying poker for more than ten centuries. Each country had its own interpretation of the game but all have the basic principles of raked cards or domino combination and the use of "bluffing" to deceive the opponents.

Let's take a step back and see when poker started and how it evolved throughout the centuries in different parts of the globe.

Ancient Beginnings of Poker

There are many contradicting accounts as to when poker actually started but many people believe it originated in China in 900 A.D. Historians agree that the Chinese game of domino cards heavily contributed to the development of poker.

Let's look at the timeline of how variations of poker were developed all over the world.

• Chinese Emperor Mu Tsung introduced the game domino cards in 969 A.D. and it is believed to be the oldest form of poker.
• Egyptians during the 12^th and 13^th centuries are known to have used a form of playing cards.
• In 16^th century Persia, 'Ganjifa' or ' Treasure Cards' were used in a variety of betting games. A Ganjifa deck, often made of wafer-thin slices of ivory or precious wood, contained 96 elaborate cards.
• The Persians played an extremely popular game that utilised 25 cards and involved rounds of betting and hierarchical hand rankings called 'As Nas.'
• A Spanish game called 'Primero' became popular about the same time 'As Nas' did; it involved three cards dealt to each players who would bluff or increase bets while holding poor cards. Like in poker, bluffing played an important part in this historic game. Primero is often referred to as the "mother of modern poker."
• A game that came from Germany called 'Pochen', also considered as the ancestor of poker, became very popular during the 17^th and 18^th centuries.
• About the same time, the French started to play 'Poque.' Both the German and French versions originated from 'Primero' and had the same rules.
• When the French colonised Canada, they brought with them their beloved game. It was the national card game of France, and it soon became popular throughout the new world, ultimately traveling to New Orleans, up to the Mississippi river and would spread to what would eventually become United States, the birth place of modern poker.
• In 1834, a gambling fan named Jonathan H. Green wrote one of the earliest references to poker when he mentioned in his writings the rules to the "cheating game" played on Mississippi riverboats.
• The "Cheating Game" quickly began to replace the popular cardsharp game of 3-card monte on the gambling circuit. Gamers were quick to embrace the game, as it was perceived to be more challenging and "honest" gamble compared to the notoriously rigged 3-card game.
• Green learned how to play card games in prison. After his release, he went to the Mississippi river to show off his newly acquired skills and became a professional card player. He discovered the different versions of 'Poque' game here.
• Green fell in love with the game and took it upon himself to document and formally name the 'Cheating Game' in his book 'An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling.' Poker was born.

The Birth of Modern Poker

During the Wild West period in the United States history, every town had a saloon with Poker table. It became extremely popular during the American Civil War. Many soldiers from both armies played 'Poque' to pass the time and from this, different versions of card games sprung such as 'Stud' and 'Draw.'

Two centuries passed and poker never looked back. From its humble beginnings on the banks of Mississippi, the popularity of Poker has grown leaps and bounds, resulting in numerous variations that we know of today.

The variations of poker namely 5 Card Draw, 7-Card Stud, Texas Hold'em, Razz, Omaha, and Stud poker mostly dominate the modern day poker scene.

Poker is so popular they even have their own World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker, which are basically the Olympics of the game. There are also TV events such as the National Heads Up Poker Championship and the World Series Poker Tournament of Champions being filmed for prime time TV viewing.

And with the advent of technology, poker expanded its horizon and is not limited to live poker rooms only. The popularity of Internet casinos allows poker enthusiasts to play the game online, in virtual poker rooms, any time anywhere.

Online poker sites offer a wide variety of games and allow players to play multiple games at the same time. It has become so accessible that even beginners can easily master the game with the help of the loads of information that can be found in the web.

With the ever growing community of poker enthusiasts in the UK and all around the world, poker will continue to grow and be the number one card game of choice. Join in the craze and find the best online poker site for you and see for yourself why many are getting hooked to this game!