Poker History

The history of Poker can be traced for a period longer than even ten centuries. Some sources have even found a game which was alike to poker. The Chinese played this form of the game and even Emperor Mu-tsung was fond of playing it. The Egyptians too loved playing another form of playing cards. This was found during the period of 12th and 13th century. Later in the 16th century, Persia played another form which was known as Ganjifa. The deck in this game was made up of 96 specific cards. Material such as ivory or precious wood was used to create the cards.

The history of Poker also finds the French playing a similar game called Poque while the Germans had another form known as Pochen. Both these forms of games were found to be popular between the 17th and 18th century. The main inspiration for both the games was a Spanish game known as Primero. The player then used various techniques like bluffing and also waged high bets for these earlier forms of Poker. Primero has been called by many historians as Poker’s mother. This is because we can find a direct link between it and Poker in history if we compare both the forms.

Poker history finds its root in Canada too. The French then made their game popular in other parts of the world when they set out to establish new colonies. Canada too benefited from this move. Later Poker was able to sweep across to the state of Louisiana and finally the whole of USA. The Wild West period of United States history, gives us interesting information on the popularity of Poker. Every saloon in all the towns would have a Poker table set for the players. Even soldiers during the Civil War enjoyed playing it. As Poker grew more popular, it started evolving into different types of variations. Some of the important variations of Poker are as follows:

5 Card Draw: This variation of Poker can find its traces to the American Civil War. It was able to maintain its popularity for a very long period.

Draw Poker: It was able to gain ground in Nevada in spite of strong anti-gambling laws as the Attorney General of California claimed that it had nothing to do with gambling and everything to do with skill. Later on other forms like Stud Poker were made legal in Nevada.

7 Card Stud: It was popular during the period before the Second World War. It enjoyed its popularity for a period of approximately 40 years especially in Las Vegas.

Texas Hold’em: It is considered to be one of the classiest forms of Poker and got itself featured as the title game in the World Series of Poker in the 1970’s. It enjoys an unrivalled popularity in modern times all over the world.

Thus the history of Poker has seen many highs and lows, but it has always been able to overcome all obstacles and carve a special place for itself in the hearts of people all over the world.