The History of Poker: From Salon to Online Platform

“You know what makes you feel okay about losing? Winning.” This is quite a well-known quote if you are a Poker player and love watching films on Poker. And what’s more, this quote also applies to every area of life. 

You may also wonder why this game appeals to such a large group. Some of the reasons include using strategy and skill, bluffing and the sheer unpredictability involved. That’s what makes this game a popular one. 

But how exactly did this game reach its current position? Let’s explore more about the history of Poker during our deep dive in the sections below.

The Origins of Poker   

In the 1500s, the Persians used to play a game called ‘As Nas’, which involved a twenty-five deck card and five suits. It also involved elements of raising the stakes and ranked cards. 

These elements led to the game being considered the Persian predecessor to Poker. 

It then arrived in North America in the 1800s, courtesy of the French settlers in Louisiana and New Orleans, where it was called Poque. This name was derived from the German word “Pochen”, which means bluffing or bragging.  

Both “Pochen” and “Poque” were derived from “Primero”, which was a Spanish card game that included three cards being dealt to each player along with elements of bluffing on poorly ranked cards. 

By 1834, the Americans made Poque their own and involved elements like the five cards being headed over to each player and the fifty-two-card deck*. 

*For more information about how the fifty-two-card deck evolved, read this post.

Let’s now talk about the rise of Poker during the 19th century below. 

Poker in the Wild West Era   

After New Orleans became part of the USA, people started playing Poker heavily in big steamers with Poker rooms on the Mississippi River. These steamers became active from 1811 onwards and were an essential part of the history of Poker.

You could find about four people playing 20-card deck Poker involving the Number cards and the Ace, King, Queen and Jack. Each player received five cards and tried to win chips by making the following combinations: full, triplets, two-pair and one-pair.

The player who created a combination of four Ace cards, or four King cards and an Ace, was declared the winner. 

After the California Gold Rush, people began to play this game in saloons located at various places in and around the mining settlements. That’s because the miners worked six-day per week, which is why they turned to Poker halls, music and circuses for relaxation.

Later on, another popular Poker game, Texas Hold ‘Em, which was yet another landmark in the history of Poker, emerged as a popular game, leading to the rise of stars like Amarillo Slim and Doyle Brunson. 

They travelled onwards to Las Vegas during the 1960s, the city which would soon see a revolution in the form of Benny Binion.

Poker’s Transition to Organized Play   

Poker became a worldwide competition-worthy game when Benny Minion started the World Series of Poker (WSOP).  

He owned the Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, where he organised the first-ever World Series of Poker tournament. It involved about thirty or so players, who played in an alcove-like space by crowding themselves around the few tables available. 

This tournament, which was eventually won by Johnny Moss, became a landmark event in the history of Poker.

This idea likely came to Benny Binion during the Texas Reunion, a gathering conceived by Tom Moore and Vic Vickrey. Mr. Moore was a partial owner of the Holiday Casino, while Mr. Vickrey was a visionary player.

They organised the Reunion, which was attended by several notable players of the day like Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder, Rudy “Minnesota Fats” Wanderone, Benny Binion himself and “Amarillo Slim” Preston, to name a few. 

In 1971, Johnny Moss retained his title as ‘World Champion’ after beating six other players who had paid $5000 as a buy-in amount. 

But WSOP achieved mainstream publicity in 1972, when Johnny Preston won the WSOP after beating twelve other players. 

He then went on publicity tours, was a Tonight Show guest and even wrote a popular book, “Play Poker Like The Pros”. All of these actions made WSOP a household name. 

The Rise of Poker in the 21st Century   

In 2002, TV producer Steve Lipscomb introduced the World Poker Tour (WPT).

He did that after he realized that almost 20 million Americans played the game and that people loved his documentary, ‘On the Inside of the World Series of Poker’.

About 2.2 million people followed the WPT, which was televised, after which popular sports channels like NBC & ESPN asked for television rights to stream the show. 

The show’s format included a live sports feel, with various camera angles, live fans and two commentators. One of these commentators spoke about the in-game actions, while the other analysed the game. 

Apart from this, other factors like the popular Poker film ‘Rounders’ and the rather wildcard entry of Iranian player Esfandiari contributed further to the game’s meteoric rise in popularity. 

Poker in the Digital Age   

While Poker as a game was rising in popularity, it entered the digital arena as well in 1998 with Planet Poker becoming the first platform to host free Poker games. However, they faced some issues due to the Internet. 

Paradise Poker became the next company to offer online Poker games in 1999, followed by 888 Poker in 2002. Later on, other websites* like Full Tilt Poker, Poker Stars and Party Poker also began to host Poker games. 

*Learn how to play Poker online on our website today!

Furthermore, with the rise in the use of smartphones following the introduction of the first Android OS Ice Cream Sandwich, people could download mobile versions of the games. 

These games also integrated the live dealer feature, allowing players to interact with the dealer as they would during a live game. 

Apart from that, some other innovations included the use of a Random Number Generator software to generate tokens and ensure fair play. 

The Future of Poker   

There are quite a few things you can expect when you consider how this game might turn out in the coming years.

For instance, you will see an increase in the use of: 

i) AI, Augmented Reality (AR)

ii) Virtual Reality (VR)

iii) Blockchain technology. 

Let’s take a look at how they have impacted the game so far.

AI has transformed this game by introducing features such as smart bots, real-time support, and detecting players using unfair means to win the game.

Smart bots refer to simulations of players who will keep adapting to your gameplay and make the match unpredictable. 

On the other hand, anti-cheating mechanisms can analyze your playing styles to determine whether you’re trying to manipulate the system into winning the competition. 

Furthermore, players can enjoy a secure way to track their in-game transactions like buy-in amounts with the help of blockchain technology. 

Also, in games or applications that support AR (Augmented Reality) or VR (Virtual Reality), you can feel like you’re playing a real Poker game.

Final Words

Hence, as you’ve read in the preceding sections, the history of Poker is quite interesting.

From the medieval Persian ‘As Nas’ to the relatively modern Texas Hold ‘Em, and eventually, other Poker variants that gained fame during Poker tournaments like Short Deck Poker, Omaha Poker, and Razz Poker, the game has come a long way.

Interestingly, despite its many variations, the key elements of bluffing, strategic gameplay and raising the stakes never changed. 

So if you want to learn how to play Poker online or just play a good old match, sign up on our website today!