The History of Poker

Poker is a part of all of our vocabularies now, everyone has heard of this version of the world’s most popular card game – Texas Hold’em. So where did the game come from? Truth is, no one really knows.

Before we begin

Before we begin looking at how Hold’em started we need to look at how Poker itself came to be. There are many theories on the origins of poker because the game has no clear predecessor. .

It is obvious that hold'em, like poker, has elements that come from many different historical card games. The one thing that all poker buffs agree on is that the game of poker is a very old one.

 

The name "Poker"

As everyone seems to have an opinion on the subject there are many possible origins given as to where the name came from and where it all originated, almost as many possibilities as there are versions of the game.

Chinese

Many believe that the game started in China around 900 A.D. At the time there were not cards in existence as we know them. The Chinese were great fans of the game dominoes which they had developed at this time. It’s believe that Emperor Mu Tsung introduced his wife to a game called ‘domino cards’ which could have been the very foundation for the game we know and love today.

Egyptian

The ancient Egyptians did play card games, remnants of cards have been discovered that date back to the 12th or 13th century although the nature of the games is not known. The card pieces that were discovered are linked to ‘treasure cards’, cards used for the game of ‘Ganjifa’ of eastern origin played during the 16th century.

Indian

Another theory is that poker came from the Indian game of ‘Ganjifa’ which has a 96 card deck containing painted cards used for a range of betting games. The cards may have been predecessors of the Persian game ‘As Nas’. Some propose that modern cards originated from the Indian card game of Ganjifa.

Persian

The 5 player game of ‘As Nas’ is played with a 25 card deck containing 5 suits. The game has a meted deal, betting rounds and a hierarchy of hand rankings. This game has the most resemblance to poker but can only be dated back to the 17th century.

French

The most obvious root for poker is in a French game called ‘Poque’. ‘Poque’ is a game that involves both betting and bluffing. It’s also believed to be the first card game that had spades, clubs, hearts and diamonds in the deck used. The French were an avid card playing nation in the 15th century.

English

Until the latter part of the 15th century the English were not known as a card playing nation but their innovations in a number of early card games including Primero, Brag and Faro have been recognised. These games are said to be the first ‘casino’ style games played by an unspecified number of players against a banker.

German

‘Pochspiel’ was a pre poker German card game which came from the French game ‘Poque’. Translated, ‘Pochspiel’ means ‘knock-play’. The game resembles poker in a few ways. The name is determined by the fact that at some point in the game players will pass or open to declare the state of their hand. Players passing declare it with the words “Ich poch”, signified sometimes by knocking knuckles on the table. This is the game that was the first to have the tactic of bluffing in the early betting world.

Danish

Considering how gambling is regarded by some world religions, it’s not suprising that the name Poker may have come from the Danish word ‘pokker’ meaning devil.

A Possible Myth

It’s possible that the word Poker may have come from an old underworld slang word ‘Poke’. The term was used by pick pockets in the days when card games were played on the river boats on the Mississippi. An expert in cheating at cards called a ‘card sharp’ played a game with a 20 card deck where the purpose was to cheat when playing against contestants, or ‘suckers’ as they liked to call them. It was a street game played to to take their wager or ‘poke’ from them. The Sharps may have added the ‘r’ at the end so that victims would not pick up on the change in the slang word.

So there are the stories of how Poker came to be so you can make up your own mind. Do you have a different theory? Tell us about it in your blog.

The Birth of Poker

Despite the possible origins from all over the world, the North American games of poker were heavily influenced by the French who brought their gambling to the new colonial world.

The French took Poque to Australia in the 17th century but the game did not become popular until the 18th century when the Australian French settlers began to populate the new town of New Orleans.

 

The French took Poque to Australia in the 17th century but the game did not become popular until the 18th century when the Australian French settlers began to populate the new town of New Orleans.

Soldiers player Poque to pass the time during the Civil War and this is where the first versions of Poker came from. Soldiers in different locations played different variations of the game but the name Poker was not awarded to it until 1834 when it was named by a gambler named Green.

Jonathan H. Green hailed from Cincinnati and learned to play cards as a young man whilst in prison for petty crimes. After his release he went to the Mississippi River which was considered to be the busiest gambling region during that period. Jonathan started his career as a card player and came into many versions of Poque. He referred to ‘the cheating game’ in his writings of the many versions played.

The game and quickly gained popularity over a game played by the card sharps called 3 Card Monte. It was considered by players to be more honest and challenging. Jonathan was intrigued by the game and soon discovered that there was no definition in the dictionary, then known as the American Hoyle nor indeed in any other documents at the time. He then officially named it ‘The Cheating Game’ and wrote a book called "An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling: Poker".

Poker’s Evolution

Since it’s beginning, poker has changed, taken on many forms and spread around the world. It is now referred to as the most popular card game in the world. Whilst Texas Hold’em wears the crown as the most popular version nowadays, that accolade has moved through its many versions but Hold’em had been holding on in there since the 1970’s.

Texas Hold'em Poker - Past, Present, and Future

There is no definitive information as to where the game of Texas Hold’em was first played but according to legend it was in Robstown, Texas in the early 1900’s and later in Dallas in 1925.

The World Series Of Poker Tournament sealed it’s world wide popularity and since the first annual opening date in 1970 at the HorseShoe in Las Vegas, it has been played every year. The tournaments now run on a global scale with everyone trying to get in on the action.

Today you can play poker at any time of day, anywhere in the world via the internet (except the USA) but think of the games roots and find some PokerBuddies here to share the thrill of the game with.