Copyright 2005 - 2014 ThePokerFather.

com
By: Anthony Von Ducci
Introduction
Poker is the most popular card game played worldwide and Texas Hold'em Poker is the
most popular version of Poker played. This then raises the historical questions of
"Where did Texas Hold'em come from?; what is the "History of Poker?" and finally what
is the "History of Texas Hold'em Poker?". To answer this complex question with four
words"no one really knows, all we can do is speculate how this game came to be.
Before we can begin getting into the history and the creation of Texas Hold'em Poker
we need to understand the history of poker, more specifically, how the game "Poker"
evolved. There are many theories on this topic because people tend to have differences
of opinions when it comes to the history of Poker, or better yet, the origins of
Poker. The primary reason is because there seems to be no clear evidence of a
predecessor of the game. Furthermore, it is more likely that the ingredients of Poker
derived from many different historical card games. There is, however, an agreement
amongst the different theories, which is its basic principle; the birth of Poker is a
very old one.
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Name - Birth - Historic Evolution - Texas Hold'em History

History of Poker Part 2

The Name Poker
The origin of the word Poker is also a well-debated topic. There are as many
variations regarding the possible birthplace of Poker as there are of the game itself.
A. Chinese
A popular belief is that Poker started forming in China around 900 A.D. Even though
cards, as we know them, had not emerged yet. The Chinese had the game dominoes, which
had not only been developed in this era, but also was becoming very popular. It is
written that Emperor Mu Tsung introduced the game of "domino cards" to his wife in 969
A.D. which could have been the embryo of Poker's slow-growing birth.
B. Egyptian
Our next moment in time brings us to Egypt. Even though the nature of the Egyptian
card games remain buried, remnants of cards have been recovered and have been dated
back as far as the 12th or 13th century. Furthermore, the remaining cards pieces can
be linked to cards used for the eastern origin "Ganjifa" ("Treasure-cards") in the
early 16th century.
C. Indian
Some propose that modern cards originated from the Indian card game of Ganjifa. The
Ganjifa card deck consisted of 96 elegantly painted cards which were used in a variety
of betting games that were played. The highly stylized cards may have helped pave the
way to the Persian game of "As Nas,"
D. Persian
As Nas is a game that consists of five players which requires a special 25 card deck
that has 5 suits. This game has a meted deal, has betting rounds, and has hierarchical
hand rankings. This game has the most resemblance to the game of Poker; however, As
Nas only dates back to the 17th century.
E. French
The most popular etymological root for Poker comes from the French game "Poque. Poque

was a card game that involved bluffing and betting. In addition, it is stated to be
the first card game that used a deck of cards which had Spades, Hearts, Clubs and
Diamonds. Furthermore, the French were one of the most avid nations for card playing
during the early 15th century.
F. English
The English may not have been known as a card playing nation until the latter half of
the 15th century; however, the British have been recognized for their innovation for a
number of early card games, which include: Primero, Brag, and Faro. It has been said
that these games are some of the first known "casino style games where an uncertain
number of players (called punters) would bet against a single dealer (call a
Banker).
G. German
Poque was also a pioneer of another pre-poker card game, a German game, called
"Pochspiel which translates into "knock-play". This game resembles Poker in a number
of ways. Firstly, its name is derived from the fact that at one stage of the game the
player, in turn, declares the state of their hand by either passing or opening. Those
who pass, signify it by saying, Ich poche, or Ich poch. This was sometimes shown
by knocking on the table with ones knuckles. Finally, this game also introduced the
tactic of bluffing into the early stages of the betting world.
H. Danish
Poker may possibly come, indirectly, from the Danish word pokker, signifying the
devil. And lets not forget gambling is considered a sin in some religions!
I. Possible Myth
Another possible explanation for the word Poker could have been copied from and
underworld slang word "poke. Back in the days when card games were played on the
Mississippi River Boats this was a term used by pickpockets. Cardsharps (an expert in
cheating at cards) used a deck of 20-card and played a game, which was formed on the
bases of cheating, against contestants ("suckers) in the street to alleviate them
from their "poke or "wager. The cardsharps may have added the r to make it "Poker
and use the word amongst themselves hoping their victims make not pick up on the
change in the slang word.
With so many claims to the name, the chance of narrowing down on the exact birthplace
of the History of Poker is parallel to the chance of hitting a Royal Flush!

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History of Poker Part 3
The Birth of Poker
Any one of these earlier games, or a combination of them, could have easily been the
egg that Poker hatched from. However, with regards to Pokers distinct North American
concept, it seems that the French were the most influential gamblers in the Colonial
New World.
In the early 17th century the French colonials arrived in Canada, with them they
brought their beloved poque card game. The game, however, did not become popular
until the beginning of the early 18th century in New Orleans. Furthermore, it was
French-Canadian settlers who planted the population seed of the blossoming town New
Orleans.
To help pass time during the Civil War, poque was played by many of the soldiers. It
was here where the first different versions of Poker arose from. There were many

soldiers all in different locations across North America playing a game called Poque.
Versions such as "Stud or "Draw, which are predecessors to present day Poker,
emerged during this time period. It has been argued that the proper game Poker took
its first breath during this chaotic time period in America. However, the game did not
receive the Poker title until 1834. The name Poker was awarded to the game by gambler
named Green.
Jonathan H. Green learned how to play cards when he was a young man in a Cincinnati
Penitentiary where he had been imprisoned for petty crimes. After his release he went
to the Mississippi River, debatably the busiest gambling region of the period. It is
here where he started his career as a professional card player and where he first came
into contact with the many versions of poque. In his writing he refers to the many
versions of poque as "the Cheating Game", which indicates these games could have been
developed by the cardsharps.
"The Cheating Game" quickly gained popularity over a former cardsharp game called the
3-card monte primarily because the new game was perceived by the players to be more
challenging and honest. Green was very intrigued by this new game and discovered that
there was no definition in the American Hoyle (dictionary) or, for that matter, in any
other documentation of his time. Jonathan H. Green then took it upon himself to
officially name and document the 'Cheating Game' in his book as "An Exposure of the
Arts and Miseries of Gambling: Poker.

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History of Poker Part 3
The Evolution of Poker
Since its birth, Poker has multiplied, changed forms, and has spread across the globe
like a transmittable virus. It has been crowned the most popular played card game in
world. There are many forms of Poker that is played and the popularity between each
form has also changed.
The first crown was worn by the game 5 card draw or stud. This game rose from relative
obscurity during the time of the American Civil War to dominate the Poker scene for
almost a century. Next was the game 7 card stud. This game took over the throne prior
to the Second World War and wore the crown for approximately forty years. 7 card
studs popularity was, however, aided by the booming Nevada gaming industry during the
50s and 60s. Presently, Texas Holdem Poker is the Royal Flush of all Poker games
and has been ever since the 1970s!

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History of Texas Hold'em Poker
Texas Hold'em Poker History Past, Present, and Future
As previously mentioned, "no one really knows where Texas Hold'em came from. There is
no precise information in regards to where the first game of Texas Holdem Poker was
played. However, according to legend, the earliest game played was in Robstown Texas, in the early 1900s and it first came to Dallas - Texas, in 1925.
Today, it is unquestionably the most commonly played Poker game anywhere. Players are
not only passionate about playing the game itself, but also are enthusiastic to access
the immeasurable collection of educational resources in order to improve their game
skills as well.

Texas Hold'em Poker gained its popularity from the World Series of Poker Tournament.
The World Series of Poker has been held annually ever since its opening date in 1970
at the Horseshoe in Downtown Las Vegas. Every year since then, more and more Texas
Hold'em Poker Tournaments have developed on a global scale, and even more and more
people are all trying to get in on the action.
As the millennium past and the internet industry grew, players and viewers all over
the world no longer have to be in Las Vegas, Nevada to enjoy the excitement of Texas
Hold'em Poker. Modern day technology has given players the ability and resources to
access ring or tournament games at virtually any point on the globe. So whether you
are sitting at a table in the luxurious Monte Carlo Casino in France, or using your
cell phone to play while on a ski lift in Whistler - Canada, or an astronaut
downloading ThePokerClub software on the International Space Station, everyone
everywhere now has a the ability to claim their name in the game of fame Texas
Hold'em Poker!
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Copyright 2005 - 2010 ThePokerFather.com
This article "The History of Poker and Texas Hold'em Poker" may be freely reprinted in
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The history of Poker is thought to have evolved over more than ten centuries from various games, all involving the
basic principals of ranked card or domino combinations and the use of bluffing to deceive opponents.
One popular belief is that a game similar to poker was first invented by the Chinese sometime before 969 A.D, when
The Emperor Mu-tsung is reported to have played "domino cards" with his wife on new years eve.
Egyptians in the 12th & 13th centuries are known to have used a form of playing cards, and in 16th century Persia
Ganjifa or Treasure Cards were used for a variety of betting games. A Ganjifa deck consisted of 96 elaborate
cards, often made of paper thin slices of ivory or precious wood. The Persians played As Nas which utilized 25
cards, rounds of betting and hierarchical hand rankings.
A French game named Poque and a German game named Pochen became very popular in the 17 & 18th
centuries, both developed from the 16th century Spanish game called Primero which involved three cards being
dealt to each player. Bluffing, or betting high stakes whilst holding poor cards to deceive opponents, was an integral
part of the game. Primero dates back to 1526 and is often referred to as pokers mother as it is the first confirmed
version of a game directly related to modern day poker.
French colonials imported the game to the new world when they arrived in Canada. Their beloved poque was the
national card game of France and from the beginning of the 18th century, when a hardy group of French-Canadian
settlers founded New Orleans, it spread from the state of Louisiana up the Mississippi river and then throughout the
whole country.

In 1834, Jonathan H. Green made one of the earliest written references to poker when in
his writing he mentions rules to the "cheating game," being played on Mississippi riverboats. The Cheating Game"
quickly began to supplant the popular cardsharp game of 3-card monte on the gambling circuit. Gamers embraced
the new game as it was perceived as a more challenging and 'honest' gamble than the notoriously rigged 3-card
game. Green took more than a passing interest in the new game and took it upon himself to formally name and
document the 'Cheating Game' in his book 'An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling': Poker was born.
During the Wild West period of United States history, a saloon with a Poker table could be found in just about every
town from coast to coast. It was extremely popular during the Civil War when the soldiers of both armies played.
European influence of poker ended when the joker was introduced as a wild card in 1875.
In just over two centuries, poker has never looked back. Since its humble beginning on the banks of the Mississippi,
the popularity of this widely played game has grown in leaps and bounds to evolve numerous variations and subvariations.
There have been three games that have, in turn, dominated the modern poker scene:

5 Card Draw rose from relative obscurity during the American Civil War to the most popular game for almost
a century.
Nevada made it a felony to run a betting game. However the Attorney General of California declared
that draw poker was based upon skill and therefore the anti-gambling laws could not stop it. But stud
poker was still deemed illegal as it was based solely on chance. With this decision, draw poker games
developed and grew. This caused Nevada to reverse itself in 1931 and legalize casino gambling.

7 Card Stud then took over the throne shortly before WWII and maintained its position for about 40 years
with the help of the new and thriving Las Vegas casino industry.

Texas Holdem, christened the cadillac of poker rose to promienence in the 1970's when it was featured as
the title game in the World Series of Poker. Today, Texas Holdem is indisputably the most frequently played
and most popular poker game in the world, played in casinos and on home game tables the world over.

Other variations such as Omaha, Stud Poker, Manila, Draw Poker and Razz are also popular, but nothing can
compete with the thrill of No Limit Texas Holdem.

No Limit Texas Holdem played at The World Series of Poker and the World
Poker Tour have been captivating American television audiences to the point that there are now made for TV events
such as the National Heads Up Poker Championship and the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions being
filmed especially for TV and shown in prime time.
Poker looks like it is here to stay and its popularity has never been as widespread nor as quickly growing as it is right
now. With the wealth of poker information available online, and the relative ease of logging on and playing with other
poker players from around the world, including the ever-growing online poker community in the United Kingdom,
there is no time like the present to join the poker craze. Play online poker now by clicking through to our list of
the best poker rooms.

An Introduction to Texas Holdem Poker

So you're new to Texas Holdem poker? Not a problem. Texas Holdem poker is by far the best game for a
beginner to learn. Other poker games like Omaha or 7 card stud need a higher understanding
of calculating odds and card counting. Texas Holdem can be learned in a few minutes and you can be
playing fairly well with a few hours of practice. However, in order to learn the game you must play and you
must play fairly often.
Online poker rooms offer a wide variety of play money tables where beginners may practice for free until
they are ready to move up to the fun at real money tables. We recommend playing online to start because
online poker rooms handle many tedious details, like dealing, shuffling, and determining who has the best
hand.
A Texas Hold'em poker game goes as follows:
1. Depending on the limit and betting structure, players will place out blinds and antes so there is an
initial amount to get things started. This is calledposting.
2. The dealer shuffles up a standard deck of 52 playing cards.
3. Each player is dealt two private cards face down. These are called yourhole cards or pocket
cards.
4. Then there is a round of betting starting with the player to the left of the blinds. This is
the preflop betting round. Like most games of poker, players can call, raise, or fold.
5. After the betting round ends, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is called a burn
card. This is done to prevent cheating.
6. The dealer then flips the next three cards face up on the table. This is called the flop. These are
communal cards that anyone can use in combination with their two pocket cards to form a poker
hand.
7. The player to the left of the dealer starts another betting round.
8. After the betting concludes, the dealer burns again then flips another communal card onto the
table. This is called the turn.
9. The player to the left of the dealer begins another round of betting. In many types of games, this
is where the bet size doubles.
10. Again, the dealer burns a card and places a final card face up on the table. This is called
the river. Players can now use any of the five cards on the table or the two cards in their pocket to
form a five card poker hand.
11. There is one final round of betting starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
12. After that, we have the showdown. Players who have not folded reveal their hands, beginning
with the player to the left of the last player to call. Players use a combination of their pocket cards
and the community cards to form a five card poker hand.
13. The player who shows the best hand wins! Although sometimes players with the same hand split
the pot.
Once you understand the game's basic structure, you can play Texas hold 'em and even some of
its variants. Texas Holdem is an easy game to learn, just difficult to master. The "mastering" part is the
costly part, requiring study and practice. This website offers lots of articles and tools to get you started on
the studying. You can practice all you want for free in online poker rooms.
Check out 888Poker to get a feel for the action. They have free money tables, and you can start playing
for real money as soon as you feel ready. They have both low limits for newer players as well as high
stakes tables.

GOING ALL IN FOR ONLINE

POKER
BY NEWSWEEK STAFF 8/14/05 AT 8:00 PM

Filed Under: News

Jason Kim was on a roll. One night last month, the 33-year-old policy analyst
for the U.S. Department of Commerce won $60 in just 15 minutes of virtual,
low-stakes Texas hold 'em on the popular online gambling site PartyPoker.com.
Playing from his home PC against a half dozen strangers from around the world,
Kim won three hands with a pocket pair of aces, a two pair of kings and nines
and, finally, by turning a full house from what poker pros disdainfully call "the
hammer"--a seven and two of different suits. But when he's not sitting at his
computer these days, Kim has a different moneymaking scheme on his mind:
betting on the poker sites, instead of at them. Earlier this year he invested in the
stock of Internet bank Neteller, which allows players to gamble online with real
dollars, and recently he began studying the stock of PartyGaming, the parent
company of PartyPoker. "Everyone is going to be playing online in a couple of
years," he says. "I want to get in before the gold rush really starts."
He may already be too late. Thanks to the never-ending broadcasts of celebrity
and professional poker tournaments, poker is now the third most-watched
televised sport on cable TV--behind only car racing and football. Business in the
roughly 300 major virtual poker halls of the Net is booming, and in late June,
five-year-old PartyGaming, based on the tiny European peninsula of Gibraltar,
was among the first to take a crucial step for any ambitious dot-com: it went
public on the London Stock Exchange, where its stock has since shot up 40
percent. Other poker dot-coms are now lining up to follow suit and big
American investment funds are throwing in their chips and investing. Only the
U.S. casino giants are left on the sidelines, banned from the action because of

one remarkable fact: despite its success, online poker is technically illegal in
America, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Still, as Web poker
booms, the Feds aren't doing much to stifle the party. "Everybody is
comfortable that the U.S. government is not going to take any enforcement
action," says Las Vegas lawyer Anthony Cabot.
The poker Web sites evade Uncle Sam with a fashionable modern-business
strategy--offshoring. They set up their homes in such places as Gibraltar or the
U.K. protectorate the Isle of Man, where they are regulated, lightly taxed and
free to ride the seemingly unstoppable wave of poker popularity. Every day, 1.8
million players--more than 70 percent from the United States--throw their chips
into the virtual pots of the Internet, according to tracking firm PokerPulse.com.
Research firm Christiansen Capital Advisors says online-poker revenues have
grown from $82.7 million in 2001 to $2.4 billion today--and projects the amount
to double once again by 2005. The PartyGaming IPO in June offered a peek into
the fortunes being amassed by the online poker start-ups. Its prospectus revealed
that the company's profits more than tripled to $349 million in the last year, and
it had virtually no debt. While concern over legal issues initially drove the IPO
price down, the offering was three times oversubscribed, despite being off-limits
to U.S. investors. "This isn't like the dot-com opportunities of the past," says
Nigel Parson, a research analyst at Williams de Broe in London. "This spews
out cash like you've never seen."

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The popularity and success of online poker hasn't changed any minds in
Washington. The federal government argues that Internet gambling violates
three federal antigambling laws, including the 1961 Wire Act. A Justice
Department official, who was able to speak frankly with NEWSWEEK on the
condition his name not be used, noted that while Internet gambling is against
U.S. law, prosecutors have greater priorities, such as combating terrorism and
drugs. "We give what resources we can to it, but it's hard to keep up with," he
says.

That makes playing or hosting poker games on the Web a little like going a few
miles over the highway speed limit. It's technically illegal, but everyone does it
and you probably won't get in trouble. Last month at the World Series of Poker
in Las Vegas, nearly two thirds of the 5,619 players qualified in online
competitions. Executives of the offshore poker sites, many of whom were in
town for the tournament, seemed untroubled by any potential penalties for their
illicit vocation. Banners for their Web sites covered the walls and halls of
Harrah's Rio casino, where the competition was held. Similarly, online poker
ads have returned to magazines, TV and the Internet, even though the Justice
Department asked media companies in 2003 to stop taking them. The poker dotcoms have devised a simple workaround: they advertise their "educational" dotnet sites (such as PartyPoker.net), where players use imaginary money, then
leave it to their customers to find the real wagering. This year, two offshore
poker sites, Full Tilt Poker and UltimateBet, have even used their dot-net
affiliates to sponsor entire shows on Fox Sports.
Even Wall Street can't stand being left out of this high-stakes game. Goldman
Sachs and Morgan Stanley are reportedly working on the forthcoming IPO in
England of Betfair, which helps gamblers place wagers against each other on
everything from sports to politics (Betfair does not currently take wagers from
U.S. citizens). Big investment funds are also snapping up shares of the Web
gambling companies. Fidelity, Goldman Sachs and Blue Ridge Capital--all
American firms--are three of the top five institutional investors in the U.K.based sports-wagering site Sportingbet.com, which trades on the London
exchange.
The only players left without a seat at the green velvet table are American
companies like the big casinos, and they're frustrated by missing out on the fat
stakes. Two years ago, MGM launched a poker site from the Isle of Man that
catered only to non-U.S. players. It gave up after two months because customers
didn't care to go through the arduous process to prove they didn't live in the
United States. Steve Lipscomb of the World Poker Tour, who kick-started the
poker craze with a TV show on the Travel Channel, is now trying to make that

same everywhere-but-America strategy work with his new poker site. "It's the
most inequitable circumstance you can imagine," he says. "Only companies that
pay any attention to the regulatory authorities in the U.S. cannot participate in
this business."
Everyone else plans to keep pursuing the tempting pot. The online casinos talk
about expanding their service onto mobile phones and interactive television.
Many experts also predict consolidation in the industry, as firms like
PartyPoker, flush with IPO cash, look to gobble up rivals. Meanwhile, Arizona
Sen. Jon Kyl plans to reintroduce legislation this fall to explicitly ban online
gambling--though versions of his bill have failed to make it through Congress
for the last eight years. (His representative declined to give details of the bill,
but confirmed it was forthcoming.)
For gamblers like Jason Kim, it hardly matters. Regardless of U.S. policy, there
are 80,000 players on PartyPoker.com every night and, he notes with glee,
"there are lots of bad players willing to lose their money to good players." As
long as that's true--and as long as the primal and sometimes destructive passion
for gambling beats strong in the human heart--it would be unwise to place a bet
against online poker.