The origin of poker is widely disputed. There are as many possible birthplaces as there are variations of the game. The most popular belief is that the game was invented in China around 900 A.D., possibly derived from Chinese dominoes.
French colonials imported the game to the United States when French- Canadian settlers founded New Orleans. From New Orleans, the game's influence traveled by steamboat up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, then spread via wagon and train into the Western frontier. Modifications such as stud poker, the draw, and the straight became popular, during the Civil War.
During the Wild West period of United States history, a saloon with a poker table could be found in just about every town from coast to coast. It was extremely popular during the Civil War when the soldiers of both armies played. In just over two centuries, poker has never looked back.
Since its humble beginning on the banks of the Mississippi, the popularity of this widely played game has grown in leaps and bounds, evolving into numerous variations.
And today, with nearly 80 million Americans playing poker, it looks like the game is here to stay. With the wealth of poker information available online, and the relative ease of logging on and playing with other poker players from around the world, there is no time like the present to join the poker craze.
