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Poker History Goes a Long Way by Suzanne Lyon
Poker History Goes a Long Way by Suzanne Lyon 
The history of poker has conflicts on where its beginnings originated. The majority believe that it was created in 900 A.D. in China and that it came from Chinese dominoes.
In 969 A.D. the Chinese emperor Mu-tsung was recorded playing domino cards.
Others believe the history went back to the 17th century. These records state the Persians created the game. The game was called "as nas". It was a five player game which consisted of a unique set of 25 cards that contained five suits. There are also those who believe that the game came from the French game "Poque", in the 18th century. This is where many believe the name Poker originated from as well. During this time a similar five card game was played in England and was called "Brag". Poque was played by the French population that made New Orleans their residence around 1480. It's thought that this was the first time that the deck used the four suits of hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs. Poque also had a component of betting and bluffing.
Additional information relating to poker history is that pieces of fragmented cards have been linked back to Egypt which are currently thought to be dated during the 12th and 13th century.
Also, in the 16th century a three card betting game was played in Spain and was known as "Primera" and in England it was known as "Primero". It is fairly obvious that the origin of poker is quite unclear.
The United States minister to Great Britain, Robert C. Schenck was the first to write a book that included Poker game rules and how to play. In 1870's he was the person who presented the Poker game to Queen Victoria and her court.
Where did the poker name originate from? This is another historical aspect about this card game that varied and unclear depending on the source. Some believe it came form the French game "Poque" while others think that the poker name came from a German game called "Pochspiel" since there's a similar element of bluffing in this game as well. Some historians have suggested that the name came from the criminal world of pickpockets who used the word "poke" in their lingo. It is believed that they would use this word among themselves to bluff players and that at some point the letter "r" was added to complete the word as we know it today. Still others believe the name came from "hocus pocus" which is a phrase used by magicians during their magic acts.
A more dependable history has taken place in the United States, specifically in New Orleans. According to Jonathan H. Green, who wrote about Poker in 1834, the game poker during this time was referred to as the "cheating game". During this timeframe, poker had become the most popular card game played on the Mississippi river steamboats, even surpassing the popular game Three-Card Monte. This card game was played by two to four players and used a 20 card deck which only consisted of aces, kings, queens, jacks and tens. Poker spread throughout the region from New Orleans along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers through the use of the riverboats. Later poker moved onto the horse drawn wagon trails and railroad trains. Later in the Civil war years, variations of the game gained popularity. Some of the most popular were draw poker, stud poker and straight poker. The joker was added as a wild card in 1875 making this the last change to the game of poker from Europe. The poker game later had changed from a 20 card deck to a 32 card deck and then on to the familiar 52 card deck with two jokers. The jokers were used as wild cards that we use today.
The legalization of poker in the United States has a history of its own. A game which involved betting became illegal in Nevada in 1910. This type of card game was regarded as a crime and players that were caught were often charged with a felony. Later in 1931 Nevada no longer consider draw poker games as a crime and table gaming was allowed legally. This change in Nevada's law came from a California law which allowed draw poker games since it was understood to require skill. However, stud poker was still considered illegal during this time since it was only chance or luck that made the player a winner. Originally Poker was only played by men. It took until the middle of the 20th century before women were accepted into the game. Around this time poker scenes were portrayed in Western photos.
The history of Poker is quite varied and some portions of its origins are still unsolved. One sure aspect of this evolving card game is that it has developed some interesting variations throughout the years. Today there are hundreds of variants of Poker. Today there are several television cable stations that are dedicated to poker. A computer variant of poker, video poker, makes poker accessible to individuals without relying on partners, or a dealer to play against. In the future this game will no doubt continue to evolve with variations which will add ever increasing excitement to this fascinating card game.
Others believe the history went back to the 17th century. These records state the Persians created the game. The game was called "as nas". It was a five player game which consisted of a unique set of 25 cards that contained five suits. There are also those who believe that the game came from the French game "Poque", in the 18th century. This is where many believe the name Poker originated from as well. During this time a similar five card game was played in England and was called "Brag". Poque was played by the French population that made New Orleans their residence around 1480. It's thought that this was the first time that the deck used the four suits of hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs. Poque also had a component of betting and bluffing.
The United States minister to Great Britain, Robert C. Schenck was the first to write a book that included Poker game rules and how to play. In 1870's he was the person who presented the Poker game to Queen Victoria and her court.
Where did the poker name originate from? This is another historical aspect about this card game that varied and unclear depending on the source. Some believe it came form the French game "Poque" while others think that the poker name came from a German game called "Pochspiel" since there's a similar element of bluffing in this game as well. Some historians have suggested that the name came from the criminal world of pickpockets who used the word "poke" in their lingo. It is believed that they would use this word among themselves to bluff players and that at some point the letter "r" was added to complete the word as we know it today. Still others believe the name came from "hocus pocus" which is a phrase used by magicians during their magic acts.
A more dependable history has taken place in the United States, specifically in New Orleans. According to Jonathan H. Green, who wrote about Poker in 1834, the game poker during this time was referred to as the "cheating game". During this timeframe, poker had become the most popular card game played on the Mississippi river steamboats, even surpassing the popular game Three-Card Monte. This card game was played by two to four players and used a 20 card deck which only consisted of aces, kings, queens, jacks and tens. Poker spread throughout the region from New Orleans along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers through the use of the riverboats. Later poker moved onto the horse drawn wagon trails and railroad trains. Later in the Civil war years, variations of the game gained popularity. Some of the most popular were draw poker, stud poker and straight poker. The joker was added as a wild card in 1875 making this the last change to the game of poker from Europe. The poker game later had changed from a 20 card deck to a 32 card deck and then on to the familiar 52 card deck with two jokers. The jokers were used as wild cards that we use today.
The legalization of poker in the United States has a history of its own. A game which involved betting became illegal in Nevada in 1910. This type of card game was regarded as a crime and players that were caught were often charged with a felony. Later in 1931 Nevada no longer consider draw poker games as a crime and table gaming was allowed legally. This change in Nevada's law came from a California law which allowed draw poker games since it was understood to require skill. However, stud poker was still considered illegal during this time since it was only chance or luck that made the player a winner. Originally Poker was only played by men. It took until the middle of the 20th century before women were accepted into the game. Around this time poker scenes were portrayed in Western photos.
The history of Poker is quite varied and some portions of its origins are still unsolved. One sure aspect of this evolving card game is that it has developed some interesting variations throughout the years. Today there are hundreds of variants of Poker. Today there are several television cable stations that are dedicated to poker. A computer variant of poker, video poker, makes poker accessible to individuals without relying on partners, or a dealer to play against. In the future this game will no doubt continue to evolve with variations which will add ever increasing excitement to this fascinating card game.
