The game of poker is believed to have roots in over 1000 years, crossing numerous cultures and continents.
According to some historians, the origin of poker can be linked to a domino-card game played by the Chinese ruler in the 10th century. Others are for the view that it is a descendant of the Persian card game “As Nas,” dating back to the sixteenth century – visit Barbados Bingo.
In Europe, poker’s precursor was Poque, which later moved to France in the 17th century. Poque, together with its German equal, Pochen, was based on the 16th-century Spanish game Primero. Primero featured three cards dealt to each gamer, and bluffing was part of the game.
The 52-Card Deck Poker
English-speaking settlers in North America, including New Orleans and the surrounding areas, Anglicized Poque to poker and adopted features of the modern-day game, including the five cards for each gamer and a 52-card deck.
The five-card poker grew into a drawing game. An extra round of gaming was added to make things more interesting. For the first time, the hand standings included a “flush”—five cards of the same suit. Later in the 1860s, the “straight”- five consecutive cards—was also introduced to the hand rankings.
The exact origins of poker remain a mystery. The first evidence of card games as entertainment appeared in Asia in the late 900s. In India and Persia, the games flourished in the 16th century.
In the following centuries, derivatives of the three-card poker based in As Nas were introduced to Europe after Middle Eastern merchants began trading with Italian and French merchants. In the 1700s, several games were introduced to the Americas from Europe, including Poque, Faro, and Brag. In the early 1800s, poker arose as a hybrid of Poque and Brag.
Modern Day Poker
For the last decade, poker has remained unchanged. The decks and rules have become standardized, but the popularity of individual games has changed over the years.
The five-card draw was the only game played, but new versions have been introduced with time. Stud Poker was introduced, which later changed to seven cards. Other variants were introduced, including split-pot, lowball, and Texas Hold’em. The new introductions revolutionized the game and allowed up to ten people to play in a single hand with five community cards and two-hole cards.
Hold’em Texas further evolved and transformed into Pineapple (three-hole cards) and Omaha (four-hole cards). Later Omaha morphed into other games like Courchevel and Big-0. Other changes have been seen, including the introduction of Badugi and Open-Face Chinese Poker.
With technological advancements and the advent of the internet in the 20th century, poker has become an international game with the introduction of online poker sites. For the first time, a gamer can engage in a virtual gambling game at home. There is no need for physical items like playing cards, a table, or chips to make the game possible. As technology improves, gamers can now play from anywhere through their mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.