Poker is one of the most popular casino games in the world and has been played for centuries in casinos and card rooms. The card game is played worldwide with plenty of different rules and formats that have developed over the years. From when it was first invented in the 1800s to our modern-day live casino games, poker has evolved with the market and changed in many ways.
How To Play Poker
Firstly, to understand the development of poker over the years, we must understand how the game is played in the modern day and what rules are in place during play. The variation of poker known as Texas Hold ‘Em is the easiest and simplest form of poker, making it the most popular variation. The rules are relatively straightforward, with players given 2 cards face down and 5 cards face up. The goal of the game is for players to make the strongest 5-card hand using their 5 community cards and 2 face-down cards. Players have the ability to bet at multiple stages and can also fold at any stage and leave the game. After 2 cards are dealt to each of the players face down, 3 cards known as the flop will be presented, with a 4th and 5th facedown card displayed on the table. The opportunity for bets to occur and players to fold can be taken at each interval of the 5 community cards being revealed in play. Once the bets are placed and the community cards are displayed, all remaining players will reveal their 2 cards, with the player who created the strongest hand taking the prize pot.
Origins of Poker
The game of poker is extremely difficult to trace in history, with plenty of different sources suggesting different origins. However, the first variation of the poker game we have today was played in the 1800s in New Orleans, USA, but gained popularity for the first time in the 1830s on Mississippi River steamboats. It is thought that the poker in Southern US states was brought over by European colonists, inspired by the French game ‘poque’, which was inspired by the Italian game ‘As Nas’, which was inspired by the Spanish game ‘primero’, showing how the game had developed over time taken from various origins. The game of poker is constantly evolving to this day, with plenty of variations becoming popular over the years.
The Wild West
The Wild West and frontier period is a time that stands out when we look at the history of poker, with this being a big step in the development of the game and becoming what it is today. From the 1850s to the 1890s, poker was developing at its quickest rate, with game rules becoming developed and standardised in saloons across Mississippi and eventually the whole of America. During this period, the 52-card deck was adopted as the standard, alongside many of the hand rankings, such as the flush. Thanks to the American Gold Rush, the game of Poker spread rapidly, with people across the country playing the game and defining a set of rules as standard.
20th Century Casinos
As the 20th century came around, poker became more and more popular, beginning to expand across the globe. During the time period of the 1930s to the 1950s, poker took over legal casinos, especially those in Las Vegas, with Stud and Draw games dominating the scene. But in the 1940s, 7-card stud was the most popular variation of poker in the casinos, evolving from the previous versions of the card game and becoming the go-to variant for many. This was until the 1960s when one of the most popular variants of the card game took over, and to this day, it remains the most common format to play. Texas Hold ‘Em was introduced to the casinos and took the poker world by storm, quickly becoming a player favourite, allowing players to bet at different intervals and using community cards, adding depth to the game. In the 1970s, the World Series of Poker was introduced, taking the popular casino game to a new level of competition. The introduction of the tournament only allowed the game to explode even more, with people starting to learn strategy and using analysis to improve their own game. This title helped to explode the game in popularity and continue the expansion to the wider market.
Rise of Online Poker
The 2000s consisted of a massive growth in online poker, with live casinos becoming a popular way to play casino games online. The implementation of technology to allow players to play poker online has allowed players to develop strategies and have better access to the game. Players can choose to play against each other, play against a computer, or even play with a live dealer in live casinos, with different variations of the game, such as speed poker or even themed poker.
The Modern Day Poker
In the modern day, poker is still one of the most popular card games available, played in casinos around the world and even online. Poker is more competitive than ever, with more strategies being developed over time, and people being able to analyse competitive tournaments to improve the way they play. The growth of the card game shows no signs of slowing down and may even continue to develop in the future.
