Poker history traces several pedigrees and there is no real clue about its origin. The game was feverishly played on the riverboats cruising the mighty Mississippi in the 1800s. Today poker is played online and offline with big stakes to boot. Reports have it that the history of poker is traced to the Persian game of nas. Accordingly, the Persian version resembled the rules of the modern poker.



Persia, once a superpower had great ships. The country traded with far-oft countries, and one of those was France. Persian sailors introduced the card game to the French and the French developed a liking for it. Soon the game acquired the influence of the French connection

What is in a Name?

There are fascinating versions how the name poker evolved. Poker history points to France as the source of the name from the French ?poque?. In Germany, in the 16th century, the Germans had an interesting bluffing game they called pochen. In England, there was the game of brag, also a bluffing game. All these may have directly or indirectly influenced the modern poker.

The Gold Rush and New Orleans Salons

Sketchy Poker history reports that it was played in New Orleans salons and gaming rooms in 1829. A 20 card deck and four players betted which hand held the most prized card. In California, miners of the gold rush played poker as a past time. When the great American Civil War erupted, the simple poker adapted stud poker and draw poker. People were playing five cards. At this point, the Flush was introduced. In 1875, the wild card was discovered.

In the 1900 it is purported that split pot poker and lowball was devised; and was followed suit by the full 52 card deck. In 1925, the community cards debuted in Asia. This is attributed to the poker playing American soldiers.

The Lure of Poker

Poker history reflects Persian, France, German, English and American influences. The lure of poker persisted across countries and centuries.

A significant historic milestone was the first Poker World Series in the 1970s. This led to the recognition of the game on a professional level. As more people loved the game, poker books became widely popular; the more serious books were written by David Skalnsky, Mike Caro, and Doyle Brunson.

Poker has invaded TV, and heavyweight poker tourneys are broadcast live via cable and satellite. This indicated the extent of the lure of poker around the world.

With the advent of the internet, poker soon found its niche, and poker is doggedly trailed offline and online by all of its avid followers. Therefore, it is not unusual to find online poker gaming rooms always booked with thousands of players. In addition, everything you need to know about poker is available on the internet.

So, from Persia to the Mississippi, the gold rush and to the first man on the moon, men continued to love poker. History repeats itself.