The Biggest Figures in the Evolution of Poker

Poker was born all the way back in the 1800s, meaning it has seen plenty of iterations in terms of development to reach the format and level of popularity that we find in the modern day. From the roots of being established, to being regarded as a legal activity, to now being able to access the gameplay through live casino websites, playing remotely with real dealers, the evolution cannot be understated. There are plenty of people throughout history who can be credited for assisting in the game’s growth, so today we will be taking a look at some of the biggest figures who have supported the expansion of poker.

Jonathan H. Green

The birth of poker is believed to have been around the 1800s, despite being thought to have been developed from a 16th-century card game. In 1843, author Jonathan H. Green became the first person to document the existence of poker in a book titled ‘An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling’. In this text, Green referenced a game called the cheating game, which was never called poker but is believed to be the card game he is referring to based on how it is played. The game was massive at the time on Mississippi Riverboats, which is where it is thought to have spread across America.

Johnny Moss and Nick Dandolos

Johnny Moss is a legend within the poker scene, being the first ever winner of the World Series of Poker after being voted on by his peers. He’s often referred to as ‘The Grand Old Man of Poker’, helping to standardise the game and inspire the launch of the competitive poker industry. Nick Dandolos was another professional gambler, a Greek international who wanted to play against the best and build a strong reputation in the industry. In 1949, Moss and Dandolos went head-to-head in a high-stakes poker match in Las Vegas, a massive event at the time. This matchup saw two of the greatest players face each other, inspiring the creation of the WSOP and bringing more traction to the professional competitive side of the card game.

Benny Binion

The World Series of Poker didn’t quite start out the way many of the players would have expected, beginning with only 7 players, and rather than a tournament, it was a single vote to decide who the best player was. This title was established by Benny Binion, an American casino operator with a mixed reputation in the gambling industry. Nonetheless, Binion is one of the biggest names in competitive poker as a result of establishing the first international title.

Doyle Brunson

Around the same time as the establishment of WSOP, Doyle Brunson noticed the growth and attraction to competitive poker and chose to produce one of the most influential strategy books that inspired a whole new audience to play the game. The 2 time WSOP champion dedicated a lot of his time to competitive poker, encouraging new participants and spreading the word of the WSOP.

Amarillo Slim Preston

The 1972 WSOP Main Event champion is remembered as one of the most influential people when it came to the growth of poker and the increase in numbers watching the competitive game. As a professional gambler himself, he understood the ins and outs of the industry and projected them to a wider audience through talk shows and various other mainstream media. This was a huge turning point that even inspired ESPN to get involved with broadcasting major events.

Phil Hellmuth

What brings attention to many industries around the world is groundbreaking stories and inspirational reports that may trigger a new wave of participants, and this is exactly what Phil Hellmuth created. Hellmuth is an American professional poker player who became the youngest WSOP winner in 1989 at the age of 24, inspiring a whole new generation to play.

Chris Moneymaker

Chris Moneymaker is a 2003 WSOP Main Event champion, becoming one of the first players to qualify for the event through online play. His win brought online poker to the world's attention and sparked a huge increase in the number of people accessing it.

The Modern Streaming Era

Twitch and YouTube streaming have taken over almost every competitive game and casual gameplay, even becoming a huge part of the entertainment industry. In the 2010s era, poker became a highly viewed game, seeing a large growth in viewers watching big events on streaming services. Names such as Jason Somerville, Lex Veldhuis, Doug Polk and Tom Dwan became big names in the poker industry, streaming and broadcasting games which would inspire new players and continue to grow new viewership.

Venessa Selbst

It’s no secret that poker is a relatively male-dominant game, with very few females partaking in the competitive side, but Vanessa Selbst broke that stereotype. Selbst was the first ever woman to reach a number one world poker ranking, inspiring women to participate in the competitive game.