Poker History

Poker is the most popular card game played all over the world. It is an essential part of the history of gaming culture. Yet, there is no conclusive evidence as to the origin or birthplace of poker. There are many theories regarding the possible roots of poker as there are variations of the game itself. There is no clear proof of a specific predecessor of the game. It is likely that poker has its beginnings from a number of different ancestral games.

Poker may have started in China around 900 AD. In 969 AD, Emperor Mu Tsung introduced the game of “domino cards” to his wife. This may have formed the nucleus of the poker game. In Egypt , fragments of playing cards dating back to the 12th and 13th century had been unearthed. “Ganjifa” (Treasure Cards) in the early 16th century may have been derived from these card fragments. “Ganjifa”, the Indian card game, consisted of ninety-six intricately painted cards used in betting games. These cards may have been the precursor of the Persian game of “As Nas”. “As Nas” used a pack of twenty-five playing cards with five suits. This game strongly resembled the standard poker game of today with betting rounds and basic ranking of poker hands. Another possible origin of poker is the French game “poque”. Poque was said to be the first game that had the four familiar suits – spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. It also involved bluffing and betting. Poque was the forerunner of the German card game “Pochspiel” which literally means “knock play”. The British, for their part, were credited for introducing the early card games of Primero, Brag and Faro. These games resembled the casino-type poker games where players would bet against a single dealer (the banker). Any of these ancestral games may have influenced the birth of poker.