Poker History

Most sources agree that Poker's earliest roots are found in the Ancient Far East including China and Persia. The earliest found playing cards date back to the 11^th century in China where paper was invented.  Papermaking in Europe dates to the 12^th century and in 1448 the invention of the printing press allowed for mass production of documents. Rapid distribution of items such as playing cards to greater numbers of people throughout Europe soon followed. 

Poker is believed to have originated from a game called As Nas.  It evolved with other elements from English, French and Italian games of the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th centuries.  Variations and borrowings included the ante, draw, the raise before the draw, freeze out, table stakes, straights and flushes, wild cards, a joker and strategies such as bluffing.  Gambling houses were organized in the 17^th century and patronized by European aristocracy.  In 1806 Napoleon legalized casinos; three decades later they were declared illegal and the casinos prospered in Germany.  In 1858 the Grimaldis of Monaco sold concessions for gaming to avoid bankruptcy which gave rise to Monte Carlo.  

It is believed poker reached the United States at the turn of the 19^th century through the early settlers of Louisiana.  It was played with a deck of 20 cards, of which 5 were dealt to a player.  Americans contributed innovations to the game in jackpots and studs.  The word appears to be a mispronunciation of the French  "Poque" by separating the one syllable word into two syllables, hence the phonetic "poker". Poker moved to the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and west where The Gold Rush in 1848 drew risk takers, cowboys and cardsharks.  Soon after San Francisco replaced New Orleans as the center of gambling. 

The popularity of table poker in the last 10 years reached a new plateau in 1970 when the World Series of Poker was held in conjunction with the opening of Benny Binion's Horseshoe Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.  The 1972 winner, Thomas "Amarillo Slim" Preston and his publicity tour entrenched poker into mainstream culture.  Popularity of poker expanded culturally with televised poker tournaments, and celebrities playing poker further embedded poker as culturally legitimate. Made for TV tournaments, big-screen Hollywood films and the World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel have contributed to the increasing popularity and cultural acceptance of poker.   

In the past 18 months online poker has expanded rapidly, internet Poker is close to a
$2 billion industry. Its biggest breakthrough has been the acceptance of the professional poker community.  By 1998 software suppliers developed multi-player internet poker rooms, addressed fraud and collusion problems, and created networks for high volume of players.  Internet poker is a safe, unintimidating place for newcomers to practice skills and not face opponents across a table, as well as a platform for professional players. 

04/12/05

Louise B. Weaver

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