Poker – one of history’s most loved card games that has gone from being banned to now being by far one of the most played card games online.
The history of poker is checkered to say the least, and from being played only in dimmed basement rooms to being in the spotlight at major international tournaments, more and more people have discovered poker game on-line. Join us on a journey back in poker’s footsteps all the way to the large multi-million dollar industry that online poker is today.
The ancient poker
To understand how an ordinary card game could have such a great impact online and become so immensely popular, it is important to understand the role of poker in history. Different variants of the game have been traced back in time – including to China, several centuries before our era, in the form of a domino game based on similar rules. Over the centuries the game was refined, and the first modern poker is believed to have been found in the 14th century Middle East and later landed in 16th century Spain.
Although many today associate poker with flashing neon lights and Las Vegas, in other words, the game was born in a completely different part of the world before eventually making its way across the Atlantic with the help of settlers and emigrants. In this way, this card game has been shaped by the ravages of time to become the most exciting and engaging card game possible, played by generations after generations.
The modern form of poker
When modern poker took hold, it developed most rapidly in the United States. The game abounded in various bars and establishments during America’s Wild West era however, poker in its modern form as we know it today is said to have developed in the South, in New Orleans during the 1820s. At that time, the variant was mainly played Draw which persisted for almost a century before the version Seven Card Stud took over which was finally followed by Texas Hold’em which is undoubtedly today’s most popular variant. As a result of so many people getting into debt playing poker, the American state decided to ban gambling and gambling, which eventually paved the way for the state of Nevada’s gambling laws.
As the game slowly but surely became legal and clean, interest also exploded among ordinary people. Thanks to glamorous and prestigious competitions such as the World Series of Poker held in the 70s and eventually broadcast on national television, the card game soon became a popular part of everyday life. The WSOP went from being a small event with participants seated around a single table to attracting several thousand participants and millions of viewers worldwide. Now you can play on casinobauble.com
The first online poker
Today, many qualify for the WSOP online, but the first online poker saw the light of day more than 20 years ago. The phenomenon developed in parallel with all the possibilities of the internet which, among other things, made it possible for people from all corners of the world to meet online to, among other things, discuss and practice their hobbies. The very first of these meetings within the poker world took place at the iconic the IRC chat channel where different users could chat with each other while playing poker for virtual money.
One of the absolute biggest pioneers during this time who would take online poker to the next level was Randy Blumer. Blumer began to think about how to convert online poker’s then fictitious money game into a poker where you actually played for real money. These musings eventually became the starting point for Blumer’s new online-based project, Planet Poker. Beta testing was kicked off and test players were recruited which allowed the site to open its doors in 1998. This is considered to be the first real poker room of all time, although it would be a couple of weeks before the rolling started.
The glory days of online poker begin
These days, poker is associated with glamour, power and money, and there is a lot to read about international poker stars who live their lives in the hustle and bustle and who can make a living from their gambling. The very first really big poker star is considered by many to be Chris Moneymaker who went on to win the entire WSOP after qualifying online. This meant another boost to online poker as other aspiring poker stars could see how an ordinary player made it all the way to the top.
Today, as a rule, all major poker stars also play poker online, usually on several different tables at a time to practice their simultaneity skills and capacity. Online poker will most likely continue to develop in parallel with technology, and several VR poker rooms are already welcoming players worldwide to play poker in real time. Augmented Reality (AR) is also expected to take an increasingly large place in the market, which will most likely be implemented more and more in the online poker world.
Poker has made a journey spanning thousands of years, going from an illegal party game to becoming one of the unquestionably most popular online casino games. Thanks to the advancement of the internet and visionary pioneers, poker has evolved throughout the ages to fit perfectly into our digital world. Although it is mostly the big events and well-known tournaments that get the most attention, the majority of poker playing takes place online. In what direction the journey continues, only time can tell, but it will most likely involve the latest technology.
