Poker is thought to have evolved over more than 1000 years from a variety of card games, all sharing similar principles of card ranking, with some using a specific mental strategy (“bluffing”) to gain an advantage over opponents.

It may be that a game not unlike today’s internet poker was invented by the Chinese in the mid-900s, when Emperor Mu-tsung is said to have played “domino cards” at court and at home. Although there are similarities among various historical pastimes like the Middle Eastern “As Nas,” which used 25 cards and included both betting rounds and ranked hands, it was not until the standardization of card decks in the post-Gutenberg era that Poker started to develop into the games we recognize today.

The 17th and 18th century German game of “Pochen” and French game of “Pogue” both developed from a Spanish game of the 1500s called “Primero.” Integral to all these games was ranking of hands as well as the concept of “bluffing” to scare off opponents. Although Primero players held but three cards, the game is widely considered the first game directly related to today’s Poker.

The French brought Pogue, the “national card game” of France, with them to Canada at the beginning of the 18th century. When French Acadians (later called “Cajuns”) traveled down the Mississippi and founded New Orleans, they brought their beloved card game with them, and it spread quickly throughout the country.

Perhaps the earliest written reference to Poker was by one Jonathan Green, whose 1830s memoirs contain the rules of bit of Mississippi riverboat casino entertainment known as “the cheating game.” This new game began to displace the previously widespread game of Three-Card Monte, as players considered it both more challenging and more “honest” than the notoriously rigged Monte. In documenting the game in his book, “An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling,” Green just may have laid claim to being the “father” of modern Poker.

During the Civil War, and the so-called “Wild West” period of American history that both preceded and followed it, a Poker game could be found in fine salons and shabby saloons across the country. Confederate and Union soldiers both played Poker, and took the habit home. By 1875, French Pogue had completed its evolution into American Poker with the introduction of the Joker as a wild card.

In just over 200 years as a North American pastime, from its importation into Canada to its growth along the banks of the Mississippi, the popularity of this widely played game has grown exponentially even as it has evolved into any number of variations such as video poker and pai gow.

There have been three games that have, in turn, dominated the modern poker scene: Five-Card Draw rose from relative obscurity during the American Civil War to become the most popular game for almost a century; Seven-Card Stud then took over the throne shortly before World War II and maintained its position for about 40 years with the help of the new and thriving Las Vegas casino industry; and now, Texas Hold`em, the “cadillac of poker,” is still enjoying its rise to prominence that began in the 1970s when it was featured as the title game in the World Series of Poker.

As we settle into the third millennium, the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour continue to captivate American television audiences. There are even made-for-TV events such as the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions being filmed especially for TV and shown in prime time to huge, enraptured audiences.

Poker’s popularity has never been as widespread as it is right now. With the wealth of Poker information available in online casino environments, and the ability to find a game in both real and “virtual” worlds 24 hours a day, there is no time like the present to get caught up in the Poker craze, even if it’s just for simple enjoyment. However, since it is a game requiring skill and mental acuity (and good acting skills), there exists good potential for a driven and dedicated student of the game to become one of the next millionaire poker stars.

It could be you!