Right now, poker is the world’s number one most played casino game, and the most popular game of chance across the globe. Its popularity is not without merit: poker is a fun game that’s easy to learn and can be enjoyed both at a physical casino and online. It’s also among history’s oldest casino games, and can be dated back at least two hundred years as more and more people began to enjoy different gambling games. For those that have ever wondered about the origin of their favourite card game, it’s one that’s not easily forgotten.

How Poker Started

Many historians believe that poker can be traced back to almost 1000 years ago, and it was during a time when inter-continental trade was beginning to have a bigger impact on the average person. This led to a wide number of different games making their way from one culture to another, and it’s believed that poker was originally known as a domino card game that was enjoyed by a Chinese emperor that ruled during the 10^th century. Other historians believe that the game is a descendent of the common Persian card game that was known as “As Nas” which can be dated back to the 1500s.

The closest relative to modern poker is Poque, which gained a fair amount of popularity in its native land of France during the 17^th century, where it was extremely similar to its German counterpart known as pochen. Both of these were based on a Spanish game, primero, which saw the player receive three cards and then using a range of different tactics to try and get one up on their opponent.

How Poker Spread

The game of Poque would eventually make its way to the United States thanks to the many French colonists that decided to settle in the new country. They settled mainly in New Orleans, where many of their traditions were integrated into the local areas, and became staples of the people living there, including their card games. It didn’t take long for poker to start spreading around the country, and English speaking settlers quickly changed the name from Poque to poker, and adopted many of its features, essentially creating the game that we know and love today. Part of the changes that were made included adding two extra cards to the hand that a player receives during a round, a rule that has managed to stick with the game all the way to today.

Modern Poker

This newly created game spread across the United States like wildfire, and the waterways proved to be one of the best way of introducing it to different areas throughout the country, similarly to how the games at pokiesonlinenz.net.nz/real-money/ became so popular. Both the North and South enjoyed games of poker while the Civil War was taking place, and it quickly became a staple for many saloons on the frontier. Eventually, it would find its way into modern casino establishments, which would allow it to boom in popularity for millions of players across the world, and the rest is history.