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| HISTORY OF POKER The History and Origins For the game of Poker |
The history of poker is a matter of some debate. The name of the game likely
descended from the French poque, which descended from the German
pochen ('to knock'), but it is not clear whether the origins of poker itself lie
with the games bearing those names. It closely resembles the Persian game
of as nas, and may have been taught to French settlers in New Orleans by
Persian sailors. It is commonly regarded as sharing ancestry with the
Renaissance game of primero and the French brelan. The English game brag
(earlier bragg) clearly descended from brelan and incorporated bluffing
(though the concept was known in other games by that time). It is quite
possible that all of these earlier games influenced the development of poker
as it exists now.
English actor Joseph Crowell reported that the game was played in New
Orleans in 1829, with a deck of 20 cards, four players betting on which
player's hand was the most valuable. Jonathan H. Green's book, An Exposure
of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling (G. B. Zieber, Philadelphia, 1843),
described the spread of the game from there to the rest of the country by
Mississippi riverboats, on which gambling was a common pastime. As it
spread up the Mississippi and West during the gold rush it is thought to have
become a part of the frontier, pioneering ethos.
Soon after this spread, the full 52-card English deck was used, and the flush
was introduced. During the American Civil War, many additions were made,
including draw poker, stud poker (the five-card variant), and the straight.
Further American developments followed, such as the wild card (around
1875), lowball and split-pot poker (around 1900), and community card poker
games (around 1925). Spread of the game to other countries, particularly in
Asia, is often attributed to the U.S. military.
The game and jargon of poker have become important parts of American
culture and English culture. Such phrases as ace in the hole, ace up one's
sleeve, beats me, blue chip, call one's bluff, cash in, high roller, pass the
buck, poker face, stack up, up the ante, when the chips are down, wild card,
and others are used in everyday conversation even by those unaware of
their origins at the poker table.
Modern tournament play became popular in American casinos after the World
Series of Poker began in 1970. Notable champions from these early WSOP
tournaments include Johnny Moss, Amarillo Slim, and Doyle Brunson. It was
also during that decade that the first serious strategy books appeared,
notably Super System by Doyle Brunson (ISBN 1580420818) and The Book of
Tells by Mike Caro (ISBN 0897461002), followed later by The Theory of Poker
by David Sklansky (ISBN 1880685000).
Poker’s popularity has experienced an unprecedented spike in recent years,
largely due to the introduction of online poker and the invention of the hole-
card camera which finally turned the game into a spectator sport. Viewers
can now follow the action and drama of the game, and broadcasts of poker
tournaments such as the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour
have brought in huge audiences for cable and satellite TV distributors.
Because of this increasing coverage of poker events, poker pros are
becoming more and more like celebrities, with poker fans all over the world
entering into expensive tournaments for the chance to play with them. This
increased camera exposure also brings about a new dimension to the poker
pro's game - the realization that their actions may be aired later on TV.
Major poker tournament fields have grown dramatically because of the
growing popularity of online satellite qualifier tournaments where the prize is
an entry into a major tournament. 2003 and 2004 WSOP champions Chris
Moneymaker and Greg Raymer won their seats to the main event by winning
online satellites.
descended from the French poque, which descended from the German
pochen ('to knock'), but it is not clear whether the origins of poker itself lie
with the games bearing those names. It closely resembles the Persian game
of as nas, and may have been taught to French settlers in New Orleans by
Persian sailors. It is commonly regarded as sharing ancestry with the
Renaissance game of primero and the French brelan. The English game brag
(earlier bragg) clearly descended from brelan and incorporated bluffing
(though the concept was known in other games by that time). It is quite
possible that all of these earlier games influenced the development of poker
as it exists now.
English actor Joseph Crowell reported that the game was played in New
Orleans in 1829, with a deck of 20 cards, four players betting on which
player's hand was the most valuable. Jonathan H. Green's book, An Exposure
of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling (G. B. Zieber, Philadelphia, 1843),
described the spread of the game from there to the rest of the country by
Mississippi riverboats, on which gambling was a common pastime. As it
spread up the Mississippi and West during the gold rush it is thought to have
become a part of the frontier, pioneering ethos.
Soon after this spread, the full 52-card English deck was used, and the flush
was introduced. During the American Civil War, many additions were made,
including draw poker, stud poker (the five-card variant), and the straight.
Further American developments followed, such as the wild card (around
1875), lowball and split-pot poker (around 1900), and community card poker
games (around 1925). Spread of the game to other countries, particularly in
Asia, is often attributed to the U.S. military.
The game and jargon of poker have become important parts of American
culture and English culture. Such phrases as ace in the hole, ace up one's
sleeve, beats me, blue chip, call one's bluff, cash in, high roller, pass the
buck, poker face, stack up, up the ante, when the chips are down, wild card,
and others are used in everyday conversation even by those unaware of
their origins at the poker table.
Modern tournament play became popular in American casinos after the World
Series of Poker began in 1970. Notable champions from these early WSOP
tournaments include Johnny Moss, Amarillo Slim, and Doyle Brunson. It was
also during that decade that the first serious strategy books appeared,
notably Super System by Doyle Brunson (ISBN 1580420818) and The Book of
Tells by Mike Caro (ISBN 0897461002), followed later by The Theory of Poker
by David Sklansky (ISBN 1880685000).
Poker’s popularity has experienced an unprecedented spike in recent years,
largely due to the introduction of online poker and the invention of the hole-
card camera which finally turned the game into a spectator sport. Viewers
can now follow the action and drama of the game, and broadcasts of poker
tournaments such as the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour
have brought in huge audiences for cable and satellite TV distributors.
Because of this increasing coverage of poker events, poker pros are
becoming more and more like celebrities, with poker fans all over the world
entering into expensive tournaments for the chance to play with them. This
increased camera exposure also brings about a new dimension to the poker
pro's game - the realization that their actions may be aired later on TV.
Major poker tournament fields have grown dramatically because of the
growing popularity of online satellite qualifier tournaments where the prize is
an entry into a major tournament. 2003 and 2004 WSOP champions Chris
Moneymaker and Greg Raymer won their seats to the main event by winning
online satellites.
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