The History of Poker

Poker is one of the most famous and widely played card games in the world, with many variations including Texas Hold ‘Em and Omaha. The origins of the game itself and even its name are widely disputed by gaming historians, with some saying it was based on a game from Persia called As Nas and became popular in America in the 19^th century, and others believing it is based on a French game played during the Renaissance. The name poker, too, could originate from the German ‘pochen’ meaning to bluff, or the Irish Poca (which means pocket). Some historians say that poker itself is a fairly generic card game that could have been based on any number of traditional games, and that what makes it unique is the way it is bet on and the element of ‘bluffing’.

Poker was popular throughout the 20^th century, but the advances in technology at the start of the 21^st century including table cameras and online casinos made the game far more ubiquitous. Not only could more and more people play poker without having to find a game to join or go to a casino, but they could also watch it as a spectator sport, meaning that professional poker players became household names and live poker events became a widely televised spectacle. Online poker gave fans a chance to play for themselves, without having to worry about all of the etiquette involved in playing with people face to face, and poker video games allowed people to practice and learn the game on their computers, consoles or mobiles before jumping in and playing for money.

Poker is now widely enjoyed by all kinds of people in hundreds of countries, and is even a career for some skilled players. It is accessible in all manner of ways, especially now that in some countries like the UK certain bars and other establishments can legally hold poker nights, giving those who play online a chance to play in a ‘real life’ environment without having to go to a casino (which can mean travelling a long distance for a lot of people). Texas Hold ‘Em tends to be the form of poker most commonly played in these situations as it is easy to learn and interesting in its betting.

The popularity of poker is likely to continue to grow as the buzz around this game internationally continues and more and more online games where people can play either for money or just for fun are produced.