A Brief History of Poker

The history of poker is a rather long tale, the origins of which are often in debate. Some hold that the game began as the French game Poque, which came from the German game Pochen. Some believe that the game we now call poker only owes it's name to those earlier games. Poker itself actually more closely resembles and old Persian game called Nas. It is believed to have been taught to French settlers in New Orleans by Persian sailors. Poker also seems to have connections to the game, Primero and the French game, Brelan. The British game, Brag is believed to have influenced Poker with the use of bluffing. The real truth is probably that all these games and a few others may have had their influences on the game we now call Poker.

Joseph Crowel wrote that he had seen the game played in New Orleans in 1829. By 1843, the game had spread to the Mississippi riverboats where gambling was common. As it spread up the Mississippi and west, it became a common practice along the frontier. It was at this time that the deck of cards grew from its original 20 to the 52 cards we are now familiar with. During the Civil War many variations on the game were created, including Draw and Stud Poker.

In recent years Poker has enjoyed a huge surge in popularity. This has been spurred on by the popularity of Texas Hold'em tournaments broadcast on cable and network television. Casinos have gone as far as to completely renovate their facilities to accomodate the draw that Poker provides.

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