History

Poker has long had a reputation of being a game played by cheats, outlaws and undesirables. Nowadays the game has transformed and is played online by millions of people every day.

History

The history of poker is a matter of some debate. The name of the game likely descended from the French term poque, which descended from the German pochen ('to knock'), but it is not clear whether the origins of poker itself lie with the games bearing those names. It closely resembles the Persian game of as nas, and may have been taught to French settlers in New Orleans by Persian sailors. It is commonly regarded as sharing ancestry with the Renaissance game of Primero and the French brelan. The English game brag (earlier bragg) clearly descended from brelan and incorporated bluffing (though the concept was known in other games by that time). It is quite possible that all of these earlier games influenced the development of poker as it exists now.

Descriptions exist of the spread of the game from New Orleans to the rest of the USA by Mississippi Riverboats, on which gambling was a common pastime.

Soon after this spread, the full 52-card English deck was used, and the flush was introduced. Many additions were made during the American civil war, Spread of the game to other countries, particularly to the Asian continent, is often attributed to the US army.

Poker’s popularity has risen massively in recent years, largely due to the introduction of online casinos and the televisation of many large poker tournaments across the globe.