THE HISTORY OF POKER

The game of poker is known world over as one of the most exciting, and certainly in recent years, the most popular card game there is. A game where wile and skill are arguably as important as the simple luck of the draw, its no wonder that millions enjoy the game regularly in every nation, but where did it all begin? The question of the history of poker is a contentious one, and a few suggestions follow.

• One of the first recorded instances of  a card game incorporating betting, hand rankings and bluffing was the German game known as ‘Pochspiel’, however some claim that apart from that the game bears little resemblance to poker.

• Many believe that poker originated from the Persian game of ‘As Nas’. One of these people was Richard Frederick Foster, a prominent card game rule publisher, who is quoted as saying, "the game of poker, as first played in the United States, five cards to each player from a twenty-card pack, is undoubtedly the Persian game of As Nas.” One drawback for this theory however is the fact that there is no written record of As Nas before 1890.

• One last theory is that a game called ‘Poque’, a French game which has many similarities to poker, was played around the region where some claim poker originated. The name of the game most probably descended from the Irish Poca ('Pocket') or perhaps the French poque. It must be said however that the naming of the game does not necessarily mean the transferring of rules.

Some of the words and phrase which are associated with poker have made their way into the English language proper, and also more interestingly common knowledge. Some of these phrases and clichés include; ace up one's sleeve, beats me, call one's bluff, cash in, high roller, poker face, up the ante, when the chips are down, and wild card. A great many people who use these phrases regularly are completely unaware that they began on the poker table.