The history of Poker
As always when it comes to explaining a phenomenon that has a long history, you do not really know where to start and what is true or not. When it comes to poker, there are many theories about where and when it started. And if you go far enough back in time, there are no written sources to rely on, therefore the origin of poker is shrouded in some obscurity.
One theory is that poker-like games were played in Asia, mainly in China, which is the origin of many popular casino games. The fact that card games were played in China 900 years ago is considered a verifiable fact, but the history of modern poker is much younger. Card games came to Europe with the various trade exchanges that were made, and games emerged that had the elements of poker in them – bets, blinds and bluffs.
Another theory is that the word poker comes from the French Poque which is the name of a card game where you bet and bluff. This game came to America with the French, who began colonizing southern United States. And sometime in the 1830s, the word poker first appeared. And not just the word but also a game that is very similar to today’s poker. In the beginning, they played with a game containing four colors and five denominations, 20 cards. The denominations were 10, jack, queen, king and ace. These denominations are often called poker symbols when it comes to slot machines. The game was then played with four players who received five cards each. It wasn’t until the end of the century poker started being played with all 52 cards.