Search For Posters!

You can support this site by clicking here to Buy Poker Posters!

The Evolution of Poker

The history of poker remains debatable, although the name of the game most likely descends from the French. The game of poker closely resembles a Persian game and may have been taught to French settlers in New Orleans by Persian sailors.

Poker has experienced unprecedented popularity in the last few years, largely because of online poker and televised coverage. The invention of the hole-card camera, which turned the game into a spectator sport, has promoted the game around the world. Viewers can now follow the action and drama of poker tournaments such as the broadcasted World Series of Poker.

Conventional poker
There is a multitude of variations in playing poker, but most follow the same basic pattern. Traditional venues are casinos and poker rooms. In conventional poker, players sit across each other and are able to observe each other's reactions and body language. Poker remains one of the most popular games in casinos around the world.

Online poker
Online poker is the game of poker played over the Internet. It has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of players worldwide during the past few years. There are considerable differences between an online poker game and conventional poker. With the online version, players cannot observe each other's reactions and body language, and must therefore learn to focus more keenly on betting patterns, reaction time and other non-physical tell-tale signs. Also, online games are played faster, resulting in more played hands within a certain period of time than in conventional poker.

The World Series of Poker
The original world poker tournament was held in 1969 in Reno and was an invitational event. The recurring tournament eventually evolved into the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and took place in Las Vegas. The number of participants in the WSOP has increased yearly, but even more so in recent years. Its popularity is attributed to the fact that it is aired on network television channels. The earliest filming of the WSOP was a special produced in 1973.

In the late 1980s, it consisted of a single one-hour broadcast of the main event. Since then, coverage of the WSOP has greatly expanded to include many of the preliminary events, such as the popular Texas hold'em.

Texas hold'em
According to legend, the earliest game of Texas hold'em was played in the early 1900s. In 1967, it was introduced at the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas; the casino remained the only one in the city to offer the game for several years. It is the most popular of the poker games, and is often the main event in many famous tournaments, including the World Series of Poker.

Be it in casinos, poker rooms, online, or on television, the popularity of poker is undeniable and the game is enjoyed worldwide.