Evolution Of Poker In The History

By Author: Eran Walker
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Most people believe that the Chinese invented a game before 969 A.D., which was similar to poker. It has been reported that at that time, The Emperor Mu-tsung with his wife have played the game of ‘domino cards' on the eve of New Year.

In twelfth and thirteenth century, Egyptians were using playing cards for some of the betting games. In sixteenth century, ‘Treasure cards' or Persia ‘Ganjifa' were also used there. There were 96 highly structured playing cards consisted in a deck of Ganjifa, mostly made up of ivory or any precious wood in a size of thin slice of paper. ‘As Nas' game is played by the Persians using 25 playing cards, betting rounds and the hierarchy of hand rankings.

In seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a French game known as ‘Poque' and a German game known as ‘Pochen' became much popular. Both of these games were developed as a version of the Spanish game known as ‘Primero' in sixteenth century. Primero involved the dealing of 3 playing cards to every dealer. Betting on the high stakes and bluffing at the same time when holding poor cards for deceiving ...
... the opponents was an essential part of the game. Primero is often considered as the mother of today's poker. It has also been regarded as the foremost confirmed version of a game that is directly allied with the modern game of poker.

The game imported by the French colonials to the new world with their arrival in Canada. The beloved ‘poque' game of French colonials was France's national card game. It spread from the Louisiana to the Mississippi river and ten all through the entire country at the starting of eighteenth century when the New Orleans have been founded by the resilient group of settlers from French and Canada.

One of the most primitive references to poker game is made by Jonathan H. Green in 1834, when he mentioned in his writing the rules to the ‘cheating game', which was being played on the riverboats of Mississippi. The beginning of the ‘Cheating game' was due to the replacement of the popular 3-card game ‘Monte' on the course of gambling. The new game was adopted by the gamblers as it was appearing to be the more honest and challenging game for gambling than the rigged and notorious game of 3-cards. The new game was taken with an immense interest by green and he named and documented the game in his famous book An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling: that was the birth time of poker.

All through the Wild West time of the history of United States, there could be found a saloon with a poker table at every city from within the coasts. At the time of Civil war it was immensely popular played among the players of both the armies. With the introduction of joker as a wild card the influence o Europe in poker gaming has ended.

And after the two centuries, poker never became in declining situation. Due to its respectful starting on the Mississippi river's banks the fame of widely played game has grown up in exaggeration for the evolution of a number of variants and sub-variants.

The three games that have been in turn, dominated the scenario of modern poker as follows:
The relative obscurity at the time of the American Civil war has given rise to 5-card draw to become the most famous game almost for a century. In Nevada betting on a game has been regarded as a crime. However, it has been declared by the California's Attorney General that the draw poker depends upon the skill and as such there could not be required any law for the prohibition of gambling. But the game of stud poker was solely depending upon the chance, hence considered as illegal. There were developments and growth ensured with such decision. That's why Nevada turned itself around in 1931 and then the casino gambling was legalized there.
Shortly, the throne was taken over by 7-card stud prior to WWII its position has been maintained for around forty years with the assistance of innovative and flourishing casino industry of Las Vegas.
The ‘Cadillac of Poker', launched by Texas holdem given rise to its significance in 1970's when it was characterized as the leading game in the tournament of WSOP. Recently, Texas holdem poker is certainly the most popular and played frequently in the casinos and home games in the gambling world.

There are also some other popular variants such as Omaha poker, Manila, Razz, Stud and Draw poker, but no one is competent to the no-limit game of Texas holdem poker.

The audiences of American television have been captivated no-limit Texas holdem poker played at the WSOP and WPT to the extent that there emerged TV films on the championships of WSOP and WPT and are shown in prime time.

Poker seems to stay long and its popularity is growing with the fast pace. With the affluence of information regarding poker is already available on internet enabling the players to log on easily to facilitate the players to play with other poker players of the entire gambling world.