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A Brief History of Poker |
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When it comes to the exact
origins of poker, historical
evidence is rather sketchy,
but historians are of the point of view
that the game may have evolved from
traditional games related to betting
and bluffing. The term poker may
owe its origin to the French game "Poque" or the German game
"Pochen". These games in turn might
have evolved from an earlier Spanish
game called "Primero", which is
thought to be the earliest confirmed
game that can be directly related to
modern poker, though there are a
number of other potential influences,
which may have lent their unique
characteristics to the game.
While the term poker may have its
genesis in different cultures, the
game of modern poker was born in
the United States. When they founded
New Orleans, the French-
Canadian settlers brought Poque.
This game evolved and began to
spread through the rest of the country
as entertainment on the riverboats
that traveled up and down the
Mississippi river. As the game grew
in popularity, a class of professional gamblers came into being.
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In a way,
the most lavish casinos of today owe
their origin to the humble riverboats
plying on the Mississippi.
Professional gamblers contributed
in popularizing the game, because
they never cared about the social
status of the people they played
against. All you needed was money
and nerves of steel. Poker was considered
by many to be a part of the
frontier life in the United States, and
was highly popular in the Wild West
and Gold Rush eras. It continued to
spread throughout the world, often
brought on by American soldiers as
they interacted with the cultures
with which they were posted during
World War II.
Over the years poker has continued
to evolve. From being a lackluster
game played by humble French
settlers in New Orleans, it has
evolved into a game with limitless
variations that are played in the
most exclusive of clubs and casinos.
Five-Card Draw was born around
the time of the American Civil War
and held the lead as the favored
variation until the 1930s and 40s
when Seven-Card Stud became
more popular (driven by Las Vegas
casinos). However, when Texas
Hold’em was featured in the World
Series of Poker in the 1970s, it
quickly rose to the top and has
stayed there ever since. Then came
the tournaments, the World Series
of Poker and other poker tours, that
helped fuel interest in the game by
making it a spectator sport with millions
of dollars at stake. |
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Since it’s founding, poker has
had a subtle but profound effect on
American culture. Many poker
terms have crept into everyday
usage. Terms such as "Up the
Ante", "Wild Card", and "Ace up
your sleeve" are used everyday by
people who may or may not be
poker players. Poker continues to
capture the imagination of people
around the world. It is a game for
every man, and whether you're
playing for one dollar or one million,
it never stops being exciting.
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