History of Poker.
When we think of poker we assume that it is an all American game with much of its association deriving from the western frontiers or even further back in American history to colonial times when the production of cards was illegal and like items such as tea, there was a heavy tax duty placed on playing cards which were shipped in from England.
When it come to the history of poker there a number of ideas as to were its original origins came from with many believing that poker was not like the game that we know today, but instead a combination of games which were adapted as it was past down the centuries. The most logical concept as to the true origins of poker comes from back in 900 A.D with the Chinese probably inventing card games based on original games with paper money or from Chinese dominos that were simply transformed into thin paying cards instead of tiles. There are also other ideas as to pokers true origins dating back to a 17th century Persian game known as 'As Nas', which was played using twenty-five cards containing five different suites. Another theory suggests that poker derived from the French game 'Poque' which came to New Orleans around 1480 via French settlers, this game involved bluffing and betting, it was the French that adapted and introduced the suites that we use today, hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs.
Card playing spread via trade routes meaning that it travelled far and wide with different variations coming from different countries, but by the 1830s poker rules were becoming standardized with the writing of rule books and a fifty-two card deck being introduced. It was the old west that took to the game "like a duck to water" and was played at every Saloon in the west with many players seeing the advantage of the game as there was quick wealth to be made. Many great western legends often more than not had their hands in poker and it was not long before guns and poker became closely associated. Alice Ivers also know as 'Poker Alice' was a famous Saloon keeper and poker player who once shot and killed a man who had accused her husband of cheating at a card game. There are other famous western frontier characters that played cards such as Wild Bill Hancock and Doc Holliday, with them many a time using the bullet to gain an advantage in any situation that came their way in a game of cards.
As time went on modifications on the variety of the game were made such as Stud Poker with all European influence of the game being extinguished with the introduction of the 'wild card' AKA 'The Joker' around 1875, not only had variations of poker been introduced and the spread of its popularity increasing it had also caught the attention of the law and restrictions had begun to be placed on certain variations of the game. In 1910 in Nevada it was made a felony to even run a betting game, as the Attorney General of California at the time believed that games such as 'Stud Poker' were based on mere chance were as games like 'Draw Poker' required skill and could therefore not be governed by the anti-gambling laws unlike Stud Poker which was made illegal. Due to the Attorney Generals actions 'Draw Poker' flourished forcing the laws to be changed making Nevada the first state to legalise casino gambling later followed by Atlantic City in 1978. Due to the large number of Casino's and Card -rooms that have opened there are a number of laws that tightly regulate gambling.
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