The History of Texas Hold ‘Em Poker
Most gambling games have histories that are enigmas wrapped in a puzzle and shrouded in mystery. The subject is both fascinating and elusive yet historians continue to try to trace the origins of various games, particularly poker, which is a perennial favorite.
Despite their best efforts, however, the exact date and place of birth of poker has remained vague, with Egypt, German, France and England being cited as possible countries of origin.
Most people agree, however, that poker originated in France, where it started out as a popular game called “poque.” When poque-loving Frenchmen came over to the United States in the 1700s they brought their favorite card game with them and, eventually, poque became poker and the rest is history, as they say. Poker is an ever-changing game that has evolved over the years and has spawned numerous variations. For a long time – almost 100 years - 5-card draw was the most popular type of poker game, until seven-card stud poker took over. Finally, in the 1970s, Texas Hold ‘Em came into the picture and it has led the poker pack ever since. Televised tournaments, like the World Series of Poker, have attracted hundreds of viewers, fans, and players and the Texas Hold ‘Em star continues to be on the rise.
According to some historians, the first game of Texas Hold ‘Em was played in a small town called Robstown, Texas at the turn of the century (late 1890s early 1900s). Only when it reached the bigger city of Dallas, Texas, in the 1920’s did it really take off and attract a big following. Cowboys, miners and others combined drinking and gambling and the game was played in saloons all over the southwest of the U.S. The game was known as "Devil's River" in some parts of the country and as “Styx” in others; to this day, the final card in a game of Texas Hold ‘Em is known as "the river." At one point in the 1920s the government tried to outlaw the game, but avid gamblers protested convincingly enough that the ban was lifted as quickly as it was placed.
As for the name, no one really knows why Texas Hold ‘Em is called Texas Hold ‘Em. In the early 60’s “Life Magazine” published an article about poker variations, which mentioned a variant called “Hold Me Darling” poker. Some folks say that this poker game became Hold Me poker, which finally morphed into Hold ‘Em. Considering the lack of any other concrete information, that story is as good as any.
As mentioned earlier, Texas Hold ‘Em gained considerable popularity since the World Series of Poker was created in 1970. Since then the scene has been growing and growing, with more and more people and celebrities jumping on the Texas Hold ‘Em bandwagon. The World Series of Poker has been held annually ever since its opening date in 1970 at the Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas. Every year since then, more and more Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournaments have developed on a global scale – on land and online - and more and more people are trying to get in on the action.