Facts About Poker and Its History You Should Know
For thousands of years, card games have remained a great way for people to have fun and pass time. Playing card games traces its origin to China before 1000AD and made its way to Europe in 1360. That explains why there are thousands of card games today, with a wide variety also available online on sites like uspokersites.us/real-money-online-poker/ for both amateur and professional players.
For most people, poker is what comes to mind when card games are mentioned. But how did this entertaining game become so popular and when was it invented? Let’s look at a few facts you didn’t know about poker.
When Was Poker Invented?
In the US, poker has existed since 1829 after French settlers first introduced it in New Orleans. The game featured bluffing to win bets, originally known as “Poques”, which resembled today’s draw poker. According to Joseph Cowell, the game was played with four players wagering on the highest value hand.
By 1837, the game had evolved to five cards per player from the 20-card deck. That allowed the game to spread like wildfire and when the 52-card deck shortly arrived, the game evolved to something similar to how it looks today.
The Longest Poker Game
While some poker games might last for several hours, that can’t measure up to the longest poker game in history. This game allegedly took place in the Bird Cage Theatre, Arizona, starting in 1881 and lasting for an incredible 8 years and five months. The minimum buy-in for the games was $1000 and it featured popular Wild West personalities like Bat Masterson, Diamond Jim Brady, Doc Holliday, and Wyatt Earp.
Biggest Poker Win
Notable wins from poker have helped increase the popularity of the game globally, with the biggest prize going to Antonia Esfandiari. Antonio went into the WSOP Big One-for-One Drop challenge in 2012 and took home a record-winning cash prize of $18.3 million. The buy-in was a million dollars.
When Did Poker First Go Online?
As advanced as it may seem to play now, online poker is relatively young. The first online poker game hit the market on 1st January 1998, opening a new era for the game through legitimate poker sites. Money could easily change hands and the games were affordable, with a $3/$6 limit on Hold’em games.
When Was Poker Broadcasted On TV?
The 1973 World Series Poker was the first to be broadcasted on TV. The game was celebrated in a grand style since it was the first poker event on TV, which helped push it further into the spotlight and increase its popularity. Today, you can find lots of Twitch users streaming live poker games and truly taking the game into modern times.
Poker’s Black Friday
On 15th April 2011, the American Department of Justice seized some poker domains from the industry leaders. Most players left huge sums of cash in their accounts and were not sure how they’d withdraw it, but the situation changed within a few days. That skyrocketed the poker scene, changing the game for lots of players.
