The history of poker is a subject of much debate. One of the theories said that poker, a kind of Chinese Dominoes, was invented by the Chinese around 900 AD. On the eve of the New Year in 969 AD, Emperor Mu-Tsung was first observed playing domino cards with his wife.
According to a different idea, poker is a relative of the Persian card game As Nas. It was also referred to as a Treasure Card or Ganjifa. It was played with 25 cards instead of a standard 52-card deck and featured betting rounds and hand rankings.
An old game called “Poque” was also quite well-liked in French. It resembled the current poker game in specific ways. Each participant received three cards, and the use of trickery was crucial to raising the stakes.
The game “Poque” is comparable to the Spanish game “Primero,” which dates to the 16th century. Due to its resemblance to current poker, Primero is referred to as the “Mother of Poker.” Poque was created with an eye toward the fundamentals of the “Primero” game.
The game of poker, whose origins are still up for question, gained popularity when French colonists introduced it to Canada. It was initially set sail for New Orleans, from where it was transported to Louisiana, Mississippi, and all across the country.
Due to Mississippi’s involvement in trade, the crew members of the trading boats used to pass the time by playing this Primero game. During the Civil War, this game quickly gained popularity among both North and South American soldiers.
When Queen Victoria overheard the US Minister describing the game to the courtiers in 1871, she asked him what the rules were. And that is how poker first gained popularity in Europe. When soldiers played this game for fun during World War I, it became increasingly well-known.
The Rheinfelden narrative, in which the author described the game he had witnessed in 1377, made the 52-deck poker game famous. Additionally, Joseph Crowell explained “The Lying Game,” essentially the earliest kind of poker, in his play in 1829.
When Stud Poker couldn’t accommodate all the Texas breeders who wanted to play because there weren’t enough cards after everyone had been dealt their cards in the 1920s, Texas Hold’em was created. In the 20th century, poker fans could watch the game live on television while also learning more about it from the convenience of their homes.
Due to the advent of internet poker and live poker tournaments, poker experienced tremendous growth in popularity in the twenty-first century. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) attracted a lot of participants. As a result of the extensive media attention, the professionals rose to fame and added new elements to the competitive game.
In India, the poker community is growing at an unprecedented rate. We are undoubtedly approaching the Golden Age of this mental activity that is capturing the interest of both young and elderly minds.
