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Poker History

The exact roots of the game poker are still unknown and very much debated up to now. It is believed by many that poker was derived from various games and not just one.

In 1833, Jonathan H. Green made the first reference to a game played in boats along the Mississippi river. He called the game poker. The game is played with 20 cards, using only the Kings, Queens, Jacks, Aces and tens. This card game was known at that time as a "cheating game" and it competed, in terms of popularity, with three-card Monte. Those who play poker thought that it is more legitimate than three-card Monte that's why it steadily gained popularity. A theory even came up, tracing the origin of the name poker, boats of Mississippi river, the word "poker," is slang in the underworld commonly used by pickpockets. This term was used in the boats of Mississippi. Cardsharks use this 20-card game to "relieve a sucker from their poke". They added an -r at the end of the word, thus the name of the 20-card game became poker.

As the popularity of poker heightens, boats gave way to saloons and pubs as the new venues for playing poker. If you have seen a Western movie with cowboys and villains, you'll notice that a saloon or pub setting is not complete without a poker table. Local and foreign patrons of saloons and pubs never pass-up a chance to play poker whenever possible.

Casinos and modern card rooms soon replaced saloons and local pubs as the new poker destinations. As gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1933, and followed by other states across the country, poker escalated into another height of popularity. It is very rare to see a poker table with an empty seat as local and foreign tourists flock casino to experience the fun and excitement of poker.

Today, technology has greatly improved the gaming world, and poker enthusiasts benefited greatly, to these changes. One can enjoy a game of poker without leaving the comforts of their own home through online poker. You can also enjoy watching televised poker tournaments, with the power of media broadcasting and the sheer excitement poker brings, it is not surprising to hear of poker tournaments being held almost every week worldwide!

Poker has come a long way indeed; from boats to casinos to your personal computer. But there is one thing for sure. Poker will always continue to bring fun and excitement no other card game could ever do.