The Origins of The Game of Poker

Visit any casino or watch any film or piece of media related to gambling, and without a doubt, someone will mention or play poker at some point. Poker has become one of the most popular card games in the world, only second to blackjack, but famous enough to create an entire subculture of its own. Poker is actually one of the youngest casino games in the world, and while it’s often offered alongside pokies, it has consistently maintained a massive fan base for the last few decades, especially since the introduction of online poker.

Games like pokies have changed and evolved over time, and today we have many to choose from, like a range of fruit machines and visa slots, but for poker, the game has remained much the same since its inception. This gives credit to how well-made the game is, and how popular it’s always been, having to undergo such little change while being the staple of any casino.

How Poker Started

The modern version of poker as we know it today was first mentioned as early as 1937 by a mane named R. F. Foster. He noted that the game was similar in many ways to a Persian card game called As-Nas, especially because of the fact that both games used a deck of 20 cards. Others disagree, and say that the game was actually the natural evolution of a variety of card games from all over the world, each having a different influence on how poker works.

This theory is strengthened by the fact that poker became more popular during a time when there were many new cultures immigrating to the new world of the United States, many of them bringing their own games along. Whatever the case, poker quickly caught on by the time the 1940s had arrived, and was mostly enjoyed at bars and among friends.

Poker in The 20^th Century

Poker would see a gain in popularity over the years, but it truly took off around the 1970s had arrived. This was due in large part to the poker tournaments that casinos were now holding, and people from all over the country and even the world could compete against each other for a prize. It proved to be a resounding success, and made poker much better known among average people.

A decade later as the age of information was only just beginning, video poker machines were being developed. These machines allowed a player to enjoy a game of poker on their own, without having to wait for a table or join a group of strangers. Alongside this, Hollywood has released a number of films that romanticised the game, and it found its way into the hearts and minds of players all over the world.

Poker Today

Today we have poker tables at casinos, international tournaments, video poker machines, and online poker. From Canada to Australia, poker is a favourite among many, and has become a potent force in the gambling world, especially as the Internet continues to grow and reach more people. While the game may have started out as an amalgamation of other games, it eventually grew into its own, and took the gambling world by storm.