Poker has continued approximately for a very long time. There are a lot of debates on how the game originated and who invented it. There are many variations of poker today but the most widely played variation - at a casino or on an online platform - is the Texas Hold 'Em.
It is a widespread belief that poker originated in the Sixteenth Century in Persia based on a game called As Nas. And this game was taught to the French in New Orleans by the Persian sailors. Nas is said to be on similar lines as today's five-card stud poker which consists of 25 cards and five different suits.
But lately, it has been believed that poker might have originated based on the French game Poque. But there are also games like primero (sometimes known as the mother of poker), brelan, and the English game brag which all use similar bluffing techniques.
After the game was well accepted in the West, poker players started playing with 52 cards instead of 20 cards used in the Mississippi. Between the years 1861 and 1865, games like stud poker, the straight, wild card, lowball, and split-pot poker. The final development in this game of poker happened in the early Twentieth Century when the variant game of Texas Hold 'em was introduced.
Texas Hold 'Em is now the most widely played variant of poker and in the earlier days had been described as the 'thinking man's game' since it allows the player to play strategically.
In the early days, the game had been played by outlaws and those that didn't help poker have a good reputation. But decades later, this game is now a sport. The internet has also played a role in making poker a sophisticated computer game and also connects with players from all corners of the world.
Most people still prefer to play the game online in the comfort of their homes rather than at a casino. In both cases, it has been observed that people prefer playing tournaments over cash games.
There can be vast amounts of money to be won, and World Series Poker is now deemed to be the 9th most vibrant event globally.
Online tournaments have gained immense popularity over the past few years, as it gives it's players the leisure and comfort of their home and doesn't require facing opposition across the table. But this does not make the game any easy. Online tournaments are not very accessible all the time, and thus many online sites offer Sit and Go tournaments wherein a player sends a request to play. And when there are enough players on the table, the game begins.
Poker has grown immensely through online and offline platforms over the past few decades and is very aggressive. Many resources help in understanding the game, the rules, and the strategies to take over opponents. This ease of access to improving a player's game has only made it harder to win. And so it is rightfully said that poker is not for the weak-hearted.
