History of Poker

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History of Poker

It is believed that the game of Poker has been around in one form or another for at least the past ten centuries. Because the history of Poker goes back so far, there are many different opinions about its origin. It can’t be nailed down to one single game but rather is derived from many different games. All of these games share certain principals such as bluffing and using ranked cards.

Even the origin of the word is not fully known. Most sources claim the word comes from a French game called “poque.” Others think it comes from a German game called “pochspiel,” a game that involves bluffing. Or maybe it comes from a Hindu word, “pukka.”

There is some evidence that it comes from a pickpocket slang word, “poke.” Poke was a game of cheating involving 20 cards. Perhaps they simply added an “r” over time. Poke could also come from “hocus-pocus.” Magicians used this term.

Some people believe the game had its origins in China, around 969 A.D. the Emperor Mu-tsung played a kind of dominos card game with his wife.

Playing cards go all the way back to the 12th and 13th centuries in Egypt. By the 16th century, the Persians were playing a 96-card game called “Treasure Cards” or “Ganjifa.” These cards were sometimes made from wafer-thin slices of precious wood or ivory. The Persians played a betting game called “As Nas.”

By the 17th and 18th centuries, the French have been playing “poque” and the Germans have been playing “pochen.” Both of these games, forerunners to present day “Poker,” came from a Spanish game called “Primero.” This was a game where three cards are dealt and the players bluff. This game goes all the way back to 1526. It is sometimes referred to as “poker’s mother.”

The earliest written reference to Poker was in 1834 when Jonathan H. Green wrote about a cheating game played on Mississippi riverboats in a book called “An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling.”  This new game was more challenging than 3-card monte and the game of Poker as we know it today, was born. This game involved 20 cards and only used tens, jacks, queens, kings and aces. Each player was dealt five cards. Poker very soon became the most popular cheating game all up and down the Mississippi.

We’ve all seen Westerns with their ever-present poker tables. Every saloon had one. The game became very popular during the American Civil War. Since its introduction to the Wild West, Poker has never looked back. Gambling laws now regulate it. Casinos have spread across America. The game is played more worldwide than any other card game.

Poker is now a sporting event and tournaments and competitions are held everywhere. These competitions are dominated by three different games– 5 Card Draw, 7 Card Stud and Texas Hold’em. Texas Hold’em is the most popular Poker game today. It is played in casinos everywhere and many people even have their own Texas Hold’em tables at home. Poker continues to attract people from everywhere and throughout its long history, it has fascinated them.

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