Poker is a game most believe has its roots tied to a 16th Century Persia game called As Nas. As Nas was played with hand rankings that are similar to that of the modern day five card stud style of play except that only 25 cards were used and there were five suits involved. Poker was once considered a game played by thieves, swindlers, and other people with less desirable histories. It has evolved to become one of the most played card games as well as the latest trend on television as ESPN and The Travel Channel have both begun broadcasting high stakes games with great success.

The Name Itself

Poker was called poque or pochen when it was played by Europeans. A German game called pochspiel is possibly the origin poker’s modern day name due to the fact that in pochspeil players bluff as well as tap the table in order to indicate that they want to pass their turn. There are other theories that the name poker is derived from the Hindu word pukka and some suggest that poker is named after the magician’s term, hocus pocus because of the way cheating gamblers would magically take an unsuspecting victim’s money.

Evolution of Poker

In the early days of poker there were two types of players that were generally acknowledged. There was the respected gentleman who enjoyed played for fun and there was the professional gambler who more often than not was a cheater, only concerned with making money off unsuspecting recreational players. Around 1850, poker evolved from having only one round of betting and no draw or wild cards. These were all introduced as way for professional gamblers to take advantage of other players because with more rounds of betting added they stood to win more money and with more cards in play, the game required more skill. As poker became more popular in western towns of the United States, it was not uncommon to walk into any saloon and see at least one poker table. However, as cultural changes took place, gambling fell out of favor and was outlawed on land by many states. As a result, many gamblers were forced to take their poker playing to the riverboats that ran up and down the Mississippi River.