The History of Poker

There are a handful of games considered timeless in our world, and poker is one of them. Its timelessness comes from a unique combination of psychological tactics, chance, strategy, and trained skill. That’s precisely why it’s won the hearts of people from different cultural backgrounds, age groups, and walks of life. It’s not a game that requires expensive equipment, physical strength, or a specific setting to play – it’s all about how you play with the cards you’re dealt, much like the analogy for life. While poker isn’t experiencing the same resurgence as chess, another timeless game, it’s made a huge comeback in recent years with celebrity poker tournaments, the online poker format, and advances in technology like AI and VR. But where did this dynamic game get its start?

The Pre-Poker Days

Poker has ancient roots that span many different cultures and continents. Where exactly it originated from depends on the historian you ask – some might claim it comes from the 16th-century Persian card game “As Nas,” while others might trace its origins to a Chinese domino card game from the 10th century. Still, its closest forerunner is widely considered to be Poque. Poque has a mixture of German, Spanish, and French roots, but its main premise involves dealing three cards and bluffing as a core part of the game – two main staples of poker.

During the advent of colonization, French colonists settled in several parts of North America, including New Orleans. Thus, they brought the highlyplayed Poque to their settlements, and English-speaking settlers officially anglicized the name to “poker.” From there, the game spread like wildfire – crews played it on riverboats, soldiers played it during the Civil War, people played it in saloons, and it only continued to boom.

Ever since, we’ve seen the development of different variations of poker, like seven-card stud, five-card draw, triple draw, Omaha, and Texas Hold’em.

The Poker Boom and the WSOP

Due to its perceived seedy origins and its reputation as a vice among those from lower social classes, poker wasn’t always popular and mainstream. Its links to gambling, another concept with a less-than-stellar reputation, didn’t help either, nor did its lack of regulation and associated stereotypes. One of the biggest contributors to its reputational turnaround was the development of the World Series of Poker (WSOP). The WSOP is a poker tournament developed in the 1970s that was eventually acquired by Harrah’s Entertainment (now Caesars Entertainment) in 2004. It had a slow yet steady development, but it gradually developed into a glitzy, highly sought-after tournament to participate in.

When it came into its own in 2005, every amateur and professional poker player wanted to participate in the World Series of Poker Circuit, held at Harrah’s-owned properties all over the country. Players strived to make it to the Tournament of Champions, which hosted the top 20 players of each circuit event, and to win the prize pot and a WSOP bracelet.The WSOP soon gained a reputation for having some of the highest prize pools in poker, and its winners were considered the most prestigious in the game.

People began seeing these star poker players as celebrities, recognizing them for their exceptional skill in outplaying their competition. It showed people they could become internationally famous icons simply through their poker talents. Poker became recognized as a sport with sponsorships, extensive media coverage, and organized tournaments other than the WSOP. If you went online, you’d see all sorts of sites dedicated to learning about poker and its intricacies. It was no longer a niche hobby but a mainstream sensation.

Poker Goes Online

Although online poker might spark images of new and innovative casino apps that you can visit right from your pocket, poker already made its online debut in the late ‘90s. It was one of the first casino games to be offered online, as a free, fun flash game hosted in online card rooms. Soon enough, people wanted to up the ante and play poker games with real money. The first online poker platform, Planet Poker, was launched in 1998, but it was a far cry from the regulated and secure platforms we have now.

Because there were so many benefits of online poker over conventional poker, many sought to make it a permanent fixture. People would participate in games whenever and wherever; they didn’t need to wait for cards to be shuffled or chips to be counted. Rules were cemented in place, and it exposed people to many poker game variants. Not everyone has the courage to participate in in-person events or the ability to travel to physical locations, so online poker presents an accessible alternative.

Poker’s popularity continued growing, and its economic impact clearly benefited governments. As a result, they sought to deal with the legal and political pressures surrounding online poker. Certain countries began developing proper regulatory frameworks and establishing safety measures and licensing bodies to govern the industry. Online platforms wanted to make sure financial transactions were made securely, and the game wasn’t plagued by fraud and cheating.

Today, we don’t have to think twice when we want to play real money poker online. As long as online gambling is legal in our state or country, we can play right from our smartphones by downloading a licensed and regulated app. These apps have sophisticated software to ensure fairness, plenty of social and interactive features like chat functions and games employing live dealers via video streams, and even developing features like virtual reality poker. Poker is still evolving – and we can’t wait to see what’s next.