Have you ever wondered how the great game of poker got underway when you’re sitting at the bar, drawing to an inside straight with half your pool pulled to the center of the table? Hopefully not, since now is not the time to be distracted.
Even then, there are plenty of opportunities to ponder the origins of poker and how it evolved into the worldwide phenomena that it is today. Unfortunately, poker’s precise origins are still up for discussion until it reaches the coasts of the United States. Following that, the progression from a 20-card game to the 52-card game, also called as 3 patti, we know and enjoy becomes even more apparent.
The Persian Influence
There is some speculation that a 16th-century Persian card game had a significant influence on producing what is now known as poker. As-Nas was a Persian card game that dates back to the 16th century, making it one of the oldest card games ever devised. According to Albert Houtum-Schindler, a 19th-century Persian culture scholar, the game of As-Nas was played similarly to poker in that players had to stake their cards and attempt to win the pot. The most significant distinction was that there were no flushes or straights, and the game was limited to four players.
The highest and worst hands in As-Nas were:
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Full house
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Trips
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Two pairs
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One pair
It’s clear from these hands that the poker game was inspired directly by the Persian game. Indeed, bluffing was a big part of As-Nas, and it’s still a big part of poker nowadays.
John Montagu, The Fourth Earl of Sandwich
If we’re talking about poker’s history, I’d like to take a moment to thank John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich. A lot has been written about the Earl, including the fact that he was enthusiastic (some would argue degenerate) gambler and didn’t want to be troubled when the chips were down (or however they kept score.)
Montagu did, in truth, insist that slices of meat be eaten between slices of bread so that he could feed without making a mess while gambling, and this seems to be historically correct. Some speculate that this was a fabrication by his opponents, but it appears to have backfired.
We know this because we refer to stuff as “sandwiches” now, although those that would discredit him are referred to as “his rivals.” Anyway, gambling is a good thing. It can have such lovely unintended consequences.
The Internet Bubble
The United States dominated the game before the internet boom in the early 2000s. However, as poker went online, it opened up to a whole new crowd! Indeed, some operators have found that teaching players about poker’s rich past are an excellent way to enter places where the game is less prevalent. Since poker may have arisen in various countries, it appeals to a diverse selection of players. When it comes to the root of poker, there is no definitive response. In the tradition of poker, card games have been played in communities worldwide, and many of them have standard features.
