Poker's history



In the last few years the spread of the poker game has really increased all over the world. Thanks to the use of the internet network online games in general, not only gambling, play an important role in the life of internet users.

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Many different games such as logic, arcade, action games, casino online and so on, suitable for young as well as for adult people are on the web. However, how did poker online and its variants as Omaha and Texas Holdem poker come to this world?

There are many theories about the birth of poker, the most common one affirms that poker was born in China in 900 A.D.; Chinese utilizes dominoes instead of cards. On the other hand, at the same time in Germany there was a game called ‘Pochspiel’, similar to the current poker. Another assumption is based on the fact that poker had its forerunner also in India, it was called ‘Ganjifa’, this game utilized a sort of playing cards always accompanied by gambling moments.

Others also believe that poker game comes into being in France from the game ‘Poque’. According to tradition, during 15th century in France people played with 52 cards of 4 different suits, involving the action of bluffing and gambling. Later, this game was exported to Canada as a consequence of the colonization of that country by French people and then, during 17th century ‘Poque’ arrived in the United States. The American Civil War compelled the soldiers to spend much time together by playing ‘Poque’; therefore many variants of the original ‘Poque’ spread rapidly from the stud poker, to draw poker and community card poker. Consequently, there are many conflicting opinions about the origin of the word poker, the majority affirms that it comes from French ‘Poque’ and not from the German world ‘Pochspiel’, others maintains the contrary.

It was Jonathan Green that gave the name Poker to this game; he was the first professional card player of poker game. He won more than 23.000 $ in one night in the 1830s. For this reason he decided to work with the New York Association against the gambling.

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We have to wait the seventies for the coming of the famous Omaha and Texas Hold’em poker. In 1967 Texas Hold’em was introduced to a casino in Las Vegas; but it was thanks to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) that Texas Hold’em became well-known. Since 2005 WSOP has been taking place every year in Las Vegas, here poker players coming from all over the world take part to different tournaments of various level of buy-in.

Although the unexpected development of the poker games during the nineties, in the last few years poker have been almost disappeared from the casino games. It was too much expensive and it diverted the players from other games. Due to the poker online and television poker programme this trend has detoured and in 2003 the number of poker players and of the poker rooms increased of 500 %. Furthermore, Texas Hold’em success online runs together with the success of online casinos. Nowadays poker game is considered a sport attracting more and more players everyday on account of the comfort and convenience because it is possible to play poker everywhere by using a device with internet connection.