Poker

Although some people trace poker back thousands of years to the Chinese or Egyptians, the most solid evidence we have is that it was created in France with their national game called “Poque.” At about the same time, the Germans had their own version of the game with a similar name,“Pochspiel.“ This German version made heavy use of bluffing. Players indicated if they wanted to pass or open by tapping the table and declaring,“Ich Poche.” 

Eventually, the French brought Poque with them to North America, which had started acquiring the German bluffing elements. The first written mention we have of the game in the United States came in 1834, when author Jonathan Green wrote about a “cheating game.” This game at first used just 20 of the 52 cards, and then 32 later. The game at that time was primarily played on Mississippi riverboats.  In almost no time, the Cheating Game replaced 3-Card Monte as the most popular riverboat game.

In the next few decades, the Cheating Game acquired the name Poker. Although it’s likely that the name came from the French and German words, some historians dispute that theory. Some say it comes from the phrase “hocus pocus,” a phrase used by magicians during card tricks. Others say it comes from the slang use of the word “poke,” referring to a bankroll or wallet.

Regardless of how the name began, by the last quarter of the 1800s, nearly every saloon in the American West had at least one, and usually several, Poker tables. During this time, the game evolved to using 52 rather than 32 cards. This was also when the four suits of the deck of cards developed, and then in 1875, the joker was included.

Poker remained steadily popular as the cowboy days came to a close and the 20th century dawned.  Now, though, it spread to cities known for gambling, such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City–as well as to the living room of a group of guys who just want to play cards and gamble among friends.

Today, Poker is more popular than ever. This is largely thanks to several cable channels which broadcast Poker tournaments nationwide, and even the birth of Poker clubs around the world.

And let’s not forget online poker. In the 1990s, several types of gaming sites started springing up on the Internet, hosted in countries around the world. From the beginning, one of the most popular games on those sites was Poker.  It remains that way today. The most popular version of Poker, both online and off:  Texas Hold ‘em. This also is due primarily to it being the main form of the game played on the cable TV channels.  However, almost every version of Poker available, from 5 Card Stud, to 5 Card Draw to Omaha, to 7 Card Stud, and many more, can be found and played at online poker sites.

The history of Poker is interesting. Much more exciting, though, is playing the game itself. So if you’ve got your new deck and a few dollars to bet, then give it a try.