The History of Poker

FROM NEW ORLEANS TO NEW MEDIA THE HISTORY OF POKER THE ORIGINS OF POKER Throughout hundreds of years the card game continued to evolve, but the concept of using ranking cards and psychological strategy have always been prominent. 900 AD The exact origins of Poker are a bit of a mystery, it has been attributed all the way back to 10th Century China but there are others that claim poker actually originates from the Persian card game As Nas dating from the 16th Century. 1600s The closest game to Poker as we know it today was Pogue, originating from 17th Century France. When French Settlers founded New Orleans they brought Pogue with them and this is widely accepted as Poker as we know it was born. 1800s By 1835 New Orleans was part of the United States and the game of Pogue had been analgised to Poker, played by the rules we recognise today. Poker proved to be a huge hit in New Orleans and soon it began travelling up the Mississippi river to the rest of the USA. THE GLOBAL SPREAD 1870 Poker became popular in the saloons of the Wild West in the frontier settlements in the POKER US. Doc Holliday and Wild Bill Hickok are known to have travelled from town to town playing poker, shooting their opponents and taking their money. 1871 Queen Victoria first introduced Poker to Europe after she asked a U.S Minister to explain the rules of Poker to her. However, it didn'ti the First World War when the game was popularised by American soldiers. 1910 y take off in Europe until after Draw poker was excluded from the anti-gambling laws by the Attorney General of California, where as stud Poker was made illegal. As a result five card draw become the most popular out of the two. 1931 The state of Nevada decided to permit stud poker, making it the only state in the US to legalise casino gambling until Atlantic City followed in 1978. · POKER TOURNAMENTS AND THE MEDIA 1970 The World Series of Poker began in the USA, resulting in poker taking off like never before. This is the time when Texas Hold'em began to increase in popularity after being featured in the competition. 1979 Poker became a hot subject, resulting in authors penning poker strategy books. The card game was hitting the shelves, libraries and newsstands attracting new and old players with the promise of teaching hand winning skills to the masses. 1980s Poker had become a common form of recreational activity. It was even featured in episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation as a frequent activity performed by the senior staff of the crew. 1999 The first ever real online poker game played for money was shared on the Internet. Multiplayer online gambling was introduced, allowing players to interact in a chat room environment for the first time ever. This was also the year that saw the debut of Late Night Poker shown on British TV. THE DIGITAL AGE OF POKER 2003 POKER Satellite tournaments gave more players a shot at winning a seat in the World Series of Poker. Christopher Moneymaker, an accountant from Tennessee was the first person to become world poker champion by winning a seat at an online poker site for $39. He instantly claimed superstar poker status along with $2.5 million. Christophers amazing win is said to have "revolutionized poker". 2005 The first ever Poker based full title video game was released across multiple games consoles including PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC and the GameCube. 2010 There were more than 545 online poker websites all offering different variations of the game from Omaha Poker to Sever Card Hi/Lo Poker and the ever popular Texas Hold'em. CURRENT DAY Poker is now available online through dedicated websites' downloadable software. LEGENDS OF POKER WILD BILL FCKOK BEMY BIRION Was killed playing poker in 1876, shot in the back by Jack McCall. It's said his last hand was two pair; two black 8's and two black aces, now known as the Dead Man's Hand. Founded the World Series of Poker in 1970, bringing poker to the masses. In 1973 Binion speculated that the event would have over 50 entrants; the 2006 main event alone had 8773. STU UNGAR DOYLE BRUNSON Became famous for being a natural talent in poker, winning championship games from the tender age of 14. The first multi-million dollar poker tournament winner and author of one of the bestselling tutorial books. 'Doyle Brunson's Super System'. FULL. Tilt Brought to you by www.fulltiltpoker.com POKER