The origins of this game are the subject of debate. The earliest known or recognized version of poker is a 15th Century German game called “Pochspiel.” However, poker could arguably be descended from an older Persian Game named “Âs Nas.” Complicating matters is the evidence that the French game of “Poque” could be the original incarnation of poker. What they can agree upon (to some degree) is that poker shares some ancestry with the Renaissance game of Primero, the French game of Brelan and the English game Brag. Yet it is equally possible that all of these games have influenced the evolution of poker in to the game that is played today.

A rival school of thought argues that the unique features of poker, related to the hierarchy of the cards and its betting system do not appear in any older games. It is argued that poker originated in the Mississippi River region in the early 1800s, and was played with a variety of forms including 52 cards, straight poker and stud and the game growth and development is historically linked to the invention of commercial gambling.

It is believed that the poker stars game spread throughout the country following the Mississippi riverboats and out west during the gold rush of the era. Soon after t the game was played with a 52-card deck and the Flush was introduced. The Flush was added prior to 1850 and the American Civil War saw the inclusion of Five Card Stud Poker and the Straight. Around 1875 the wild card was added followed by lowball and split-pot poker around 1900.

The game was given a breath of new life with the World Series of Poker in 1970 followed by the first serious poker strategy books appearing in the late 1970s, most notably: “Super/System” by Doyle Brunson and Caro’s “Book of Poker Tells” and Sklansky’s “The Theory of Poker.

Poker’s popularity grew and it became incredibly commonplace in the USA, notably in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Poker too great strides in the late 1990s, with the first real money online poker game (Planet Poker) going live in 1998. When Late Night Poker debuted on British Television in 1999, the game was reintroduced (or introduced) to Europe. With online poker and hole-card cameras, Poker has become a spectator sport that allows viewers to follow tournament action and drama live on television, or simply play the game in the comfort of their own homes.

The game’s popularity continues to grow, the professional poker players at PokerStars.de have become celebrities in their own right spurring the growth of poker during the early years of the past decade. The game’s growth received a further boost as amateurs, and professionals battle for seats at major tournaments via online satellite qualifiers. The passage of the UIGEA in October 2006 temporarily slowed the growth and popularity of online poker cash games but they popularity continues to grow, so much so that there were over 7,300 entrants to the 2010 World Series of Poker main event.