The History of Poker: How Did the Game Develop?

Contrary to the fact that poker emerged several centuries ago and became one of the most sought-after games in the world, many people are not fully aware of its origins. To help you get a general idea of the development of poker, we have prepared this article. If you are interested in exploring the best places to play poker today, check out the Wanted win casino review for a comprehensive evaluation of one of the top online casinos.

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The Roots of Poker

The origins of poker remain unclear to many, and although there are numerous hypotheses about its descent from the Persian game As-Nas or the English game Brag, historians have recently debunked these theories.

Today, it is suggested that the ancestor of poker is the once-popular French game Poque. The appearance of Poque in France dates back to the 1400s, and it was played with a 52-card deck, similar to modern poker. It is likely that "poker" is an Americanization of the word "poque": French colonists brought Poque to North America to English-speaking residents. And so, the history of poker development begins from that point.

18th Century: Early Days of Poker in the USA

Since poker was established in the USA, there was a rapid growth in its popularity, making it one of the most sought-after gambling games of the 1700s on riverboats throughout the Mississippi.

It is believed that the key elements of poker, including betting and bluffing, originated in the 18th century in the Mississippi Delta.

According to the Britannica Encyclopedia, poker in its current form originated on the Mississippi, and further spread worldwide began after 1872, when Colonel Jacob Schenck wrote down the rules of poker and sent them to England.

19th Century: Poker's Expansion in the USA

Thanks to travels along the Mississippi River and gold prospectors in California in the 19th century, poker became widely known across America and established itself as the favorite game of saloon visitors. Poker gave a chance to demonstrate one's wit and strategic thinking against opponents without using violence, at least in the early stages of the game.

It is believed that the American Civil War played a significant role in spreading poker. During breaks between battles, soldiers often passed the time playing poker, and almost every one of them felt obliged to master the rules of this game.

Unlike many other games, poker was played for real money from the very beginning. This also became one of the reasons why the game's popularity continued to grow year after year. Poker, having spread widely, became an integral part of Western culture, which is noticeable in many films, and transformed into the most famous card game worldwide.

20th Century: A Turning Point in Poker History

Over time, as more people began to familiarize themselves with poker, new variants of the game emerged. Even women started participating in poker, though it was previously considered a game exclusively for men.

Gradually, poker transformed from a game for illicit saloons to a respectable pastime that is now part of the mainstream. Undoubtedly, the creation of the poker variation known as Texas Hold'em had a significant impact on the development of this game and further increased its popularity. It is known that Texas Hold'em originated in Texas, specifically in the small town of Robstown, from where the game quickly spread throughout Texas and beyond.

Compared to its predecessors, Texas Hold'em was a livelier game, which almost instantly attracted the attention of US residents and made poker even more famous across the country. A significant role in poker's history was played in 1970 when the first-ever WSOP (World Series of Poker) was held in the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas. The first World Series of Poker had an invitational format and differed from the current ones, but it laid the foundation for the large-scale poker tournaments we see today. Poker's real boom occurred a few years after this when Texas Hold'em was legalized in California in 1980. New poker rooms started opening everywhere, and there was no turning back.

1973: The First Televised Poker Event

The 1973 WSOP was the first poker event in history to be televised. Thanks to worldwide coverage from Las Vegas, the popularity of this game increased, attracting not only professionals but also the general audience.

This sparked a new direction in the industry, and new poker shows and televised events began to be held worldwide.

1998: Launch of the First Online Poker Room

Noticing the accelerating interest in poker, people soon realized the possibility of playing online, and 1998 rightfully took its place in poker history as the year the first virtual poker club was born.

"Planet Poker" — a project by the legendary poker player and renowned poker writer Mike Caro, forever changed the perception of poker.

Of course, at a time when the Internet was still slow and not always stable, the web version of poker did not offer the comfort we are used to today. However, despite Planet Poker not achieving widespread recognition in the online poker sphere, it paved the way for a multi-billion dollar industry.

Virtual poker is accessible to everyone, regardless of location. Those players who previously were deprived of the opportunity to visit local casinos could now easily start a game and enjoy the process from the comfort of their homes.

2015: The Rise of the Machines

For a long time, until 2015, the topic of poker bots was not widely discussed among poker enthusiasts. Of course, bots were an element in the online poker world, but they were not considered a real threat: they did not exhibit enough skill to compete with real players.

But in 2015, a poker bot named “Cepheus” was introduced to the public. The creators of this bot claimed they had solved Limit Heads-Up and that no human could beat their bot over a large sample of hands.

At that time, the bot needed to use 200 processors to make decisions. Although the bot could employ a strategy that did not lead to losing money, this software was far from being the most profitable way to play poker. Moreover, because limit games were rare at that time, no one saw this bot as a threat, and everyone continued playing without worry, but Cepheus was just the beginning.

After 2015, many researchers began investing in artificial intelligence, and it soon became clear that the poker world was inevitably facing a new challenge. Soon after, poker professionals accepted the challenge of the bot "Claudico" in a no-limit heads-up game. Fortunately for humans, they managed to defeat it.

Modern poker bots, like "Libratus" and "Pluribus," have defeated well-known pros. It is also concerning that these bots do not require significant computing power to operate. For example, the bot Pluribus can function with equipment costing only $150. All this raises questions about the future of online poker.

2020: COVID-19 Changes the Poker Landscape

Online poker has always attracted attention, but live games continued to gain popularity, as demonstrated by 2019. Various tournaments broke previous records, including the 2019 WSOP Main Event, which saw over 8,100 players participating, setting a new record. In 2019, live poker was at its peak. However, then came 2020 and the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Like everything else on the planet, poker was significantly affected by the spread of the virus, as all casinos were forced to suspend their operations. Nevertheless, it turned out that players were not ready to leave the world of poker, leading to a sharp increase in interest in online poker in 2020, with many new players joining the online community. This will undoubtedly impact the development of poker in the near future.

As they resumed operations after the closure, most casinos were not ready to immediately include poker in their offerings. Therefore, only time will tell whether we can return to the same volume of live games as before the virus spread. It is now clear that the poker world is undergoing another transformation, and online poker is ready to face new challenges.

The Future of Poker

Poker's history is rich in eventful moments and deserves respect. It is impossible to predict what tomorrow will bring, but poker has always been able to adapt to meet growing demand, and we believe this will continue.

The chronicles of poker are filled with vibrant episodes and deserve recognition. While it is difficult to say precisely what the future holds, poker has always adapted to meet demand, and we are confident that this will continue in the future.

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