Poker History
The Early Years of Poker
The history of poker has been much debated, but poker is
thought to derive from a number of European games including the English game,
Brag, which involved bluffing.
An English actor told of an early form of poker being played in New Orleans in 1829, and the game spread from the city to other states along the Mississippi River, as well as westwards with the gold rush.
The early forms of poker used 20-card decks, but soon the 52-card English deck was adopted, allowing for the flush.
During the American Civil War, draw poker and five-card stud poker came onto the scene, while the straight was added to the list of possible hands.
Community card poker games such as Hold'em – currently the most popular form of poker – only came about in 1925.
Rising Popularity of Poker
In the years after Benny Binion created the World Series of Poker in 1970, modern tournament play enjoyed a dramatic increase in popularity, changing the course of the history of poker.
In the late 1970s, books such as World Series of Poker champion Doyle Brunson's Super/System provided the general public with access to the know-how and strategies of the professionals.
Community card poker games quickly won over the poker fraternity with their exciting game play when they were introduced in Californian casinos in 1987. Games such as Texas Hold'em were certainly a factor in the poker revolution.
The Online Poker Revolution
Poker really took off at the turn of the 21st Century. This marked a watershed in the history of poker; the game would never be the same again.
Online poker revolutionised the game by offering normal people the chance to qualify for professional tournaments.
Online qualifier Chris Moneymaker's shock victory at the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event gave millions of part-time players hope of success and did wonders for the game's popularity.
The ever-younger champions emerging at major tournaments, such as 19-year-old World Series of Poker Europe champion Annette Obrestad, can only help to increase poker's popularity!
The invention of the hole-card camera turned poker into an exciting and marketable spectator sport, by allowing television viewers to see the cards held by each player.
Today, approximately 80 million people play poker regularly, making it the world's most popular game, while according to Forbes.com the online gambling industry is worth over $12 billion annually.