Poker is one of the few casino classics that were invented centuries ago but are still popular among millions of casino players. And just the traditional casino titles, the game of Poker has a rich and long history. Continue reading as we delve deep into the origins of Poker and how it went on to become one of the most-played casino games.
The early days
As with most casino games, the exact origins of Poker are not known. But several speculations have been made regarding the introduction of the game. Some people believe that Poker originated from a domino card game that was played in 10th-century China. The domino game later went on to take the form of Mah-jong, which can still be found at some online and mobile casinos today.
For others, the origins of Poker can be traced back to a Persian game called As-Nas. The reason – As-Nas was played using a card deck that resembled modern-day playing cards to a great extent. In the European world, three casino titles were associated with the evolution of Poker. The first of them was a 16th-century Spanish game named Primero that involved dealing three cards to each player at the table. Primero also involved bluffing the cards, which happens to be one of the key elements of Poker. The other two European games that are believed to be closely associated with the development of Poker are Poque and Pochan. If you want to know the early evolution of Poker in more detail, then we recommend you to check out the top Poker books that have a comprehensive explanation of that.
Moving to the US
In the 1800s, the French colonists took the game of Poque to Louisiana. And it soon went on to spread to Mississippi and other parts of that region. At this point, the name of the game was changed to Poker. As the Mississippi area was a big transport hub at that time, the game quickly travelled to the rest of the US.
Poker was one of the major recreational activities for the Civil War soldiers. Also, it was well-liked in the days of the American Frontier and could be found at numerous Saloons. Since the days of the Wild West, the rules of the game have been changed to include several Poker game types.
While Poker became an instant hit in the US, it took some time for it to become popular in the US. It is believed that Queen Victoria started playing the game when she saw a US minister elucidating Poker basics to court members. Poker also rose to prominence during World War I and World War II when American soldiers deployed in Europe.
The rise of Poker in the 20th and 21st century
Despite being played by a large number of casino players in the UK and the US, the game of Poker was yet to experience its highest level of popularity. The first part of Poker experiencing a tremendous boom in popularity began in the 1970s when the World Series of Poker was established. Soon after, some top TV networks started broadcasting the Poker tournament on TV, which further fueled the popularity of the game.
The late 1990s saw the introduction of the first online casino UK. At the start, the casino offering was limited to a few casino games like Roulette and Blackjack. But it didn’t take long for other new online gambling platforms to offer the game of Poker.
With technological advances, the online Poker offering isn’t just limited to the traditional Poker game. Today, Poker players have the chance to try their luck at numerous Poker variations, including Omaha, Hold’em and Five Card Draw. Another great thing about these online Poker games is that many of them come with additional bonus features, so players have the chance to grab significant wins if they get lucky.
The advent of Live Poker
There’s no doubt that online Poker games are a great way to enjoy Poker online. But for some Poker players, it’s mostly about the social atmosphere that they get from land-based Poker tables. And the online poker industry has got that right.
Today, many online casino platforms offer live versions of numerous casino classics. And Poker is no exception to that. When playing Poker at a live casino online, players have the chance to enjoy Poker against a human dealer in real time. Also, these games come with a live chat feature which allows them to interact with the dealer and other opponents. All of this gives players the social Poker gaming experience that they’d get from a land-based venue.