Early Beginnings of Poker
Did you know that Poker was invented by the Chinese? Do you know how Poker spread out throughout Europe and America? These are but a few questions that intrigue us about the origins of poker.
In 969 A.D., the Chinese Emperor Mu-tsung played "domino cards", which was similar to poker, with his wife. This was believed to be the earliest game of poker played. Then poker evolved from various games of Persian Ganjifa, Persian As Nas, Spanish Primero, French Poque, German Pochen, and the French Brelan which descended from the English Brag.
In the 16th century, Ganjifa was played consisting of 96 cards made of ivory. Also, the Persians played As Nas using 25 cards. The game was played with various rounds of betting and best combination of poker hands. Primero, a Spanish Game, was also introduced in the 16th century. It was called the "poker's mother" because the version of the game is related to modern day poker.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the French "Poque" and the German "Pochen" became widely known. French taught the game to Canadians when they colonized them.
In the United States, poker was played in 1829 in New Orleans with 20 cards and 4 players.. It became widely known throughout the Western region by Mississippi riverboats. Poker became a favorite gambling activity in the riverboats. Then the Flush was brought in as a new combination. The Draw Poker and Stud Poker were introduced during the American Civil War. Draw Poker is when players get 5-card draw which are all faced down and they can change one or more cards. On the other hand, Stud Poker is when players cannot change cards and they get a card one at a time. Another card combination was brought in and they called it Straight. In 1875, Americans added the wild card.
In 1900, they introduced lowball and split-pot poker. In 1925, the community card poker was played. Community Card Poker is when community cards are distributed face up and shared by all the players. Players will play the best 5-card combination by using the community cards and their own face down cards.
Moreover, the game spread to other countries in the world. Even the U.S. military played poker and the Asians learned it from them. Poker in Recent Years
In 1970, World Series of Poker began. Johnny Moss, Amarillo Slim, Bobby Baldwin, and Doyle Brunson were among the champions. After the event, a lot of Poker tournaments were held in American casinos.
When you go to casinos, poker became more accessible. One doesn't need to join a poker table because one can play with a slot machine and they called this video poker. Just drop your coins and choose your cards to create a 5-card combination.
At the turn of the 21st Century, online poker was introduced. There was also the invention of the hole-card camera wherein viewers could now watch the game. The World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour brought in a large audience for cable and TV.
Poker is very prevalent today and is enjoyed by many people. You can play it at home with friends, online, or at the casino. It is easy to play because there is a lot of information on the web about the game. Join the Poker craze!