Texas Hold’em Poker. For many people, this is what they define as Poker. This is the most popular variation of the card game and if you see Poker being played on tv it’s likely what’s being played, and it’s why there are so many texas holdem online real money sites, but where did the game originate from?
Robstown in the 1900s
Unfortunately, the exact birth of Texas Hold’em is unclear. While American historians and ardent poker fans alike all have their beliefs on how the game started the most succinct piece of information is that the game originated in Texas. Robstown is widely considered to be the place where the first game resembling Texas Hold’em was played but the records are hazy at best. There is also literature available that states that Dallas, Texas is the true birthplace of the game. Yet, given that Dallas already has the Cowboys, rich history for delicious cuisine, and is a hub for major business in America – Dallas doesn’t flaunt its poker heritage too much.
Taking the Game to Vegas
Texas Hold’em was very much a regional game exclusively played in the Lone Star state until 1967. This was when three traveling gamblers, Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, and Crandell Addington introduced the game to the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sadly, the Golden Nugget establishment wasn’t the best place in town. The location was a little far away from the primary strip and the décor wasn’t up to the standard around town. While some players enjoyed the new variation of poker here, they’d rather be playing at more reputable casinos.
By 1969 the Dunes Casino and Hotel management enjoyed hosting the odd table of Texas Hold’em, so decided to host a dedicated tournament to this variation. Hosting the game here was seen as the catalyst for the subsequent surge in popularity. Poker players interested in the history of the game might want to visit this site, however, this exact venue was demolished in 1993. It’s since been replaced with another casino, Bellagio.
WSOP Formation and Texas Hold’em Prominence
After seeing the potential of the game, father-and-son, Benny and Jack Binion, decided to host a poker tournament and convention showcasing this variation in Las Vegas in 1970. In the process, also established the World Series of Poker – making Texas Hold’em the centerpiece game. While the 1972 edition attracted just eight players, within ten years they had 100 players and that number has only been growing since.
While again, the exact details are unclear the European popularity of the game is largely accredited to two Irish men. Liam Flood and Terry Rogers who were already working in the gambling industry visited Las Vegas in the early 1980s and brought the concept of the poker variation home with them. Shortly after arriving back in Ireland, they hosted the Irish Poker Open which celebrated Texas Hold’em.
Online and the Future
Online poker dates back to the early 1990s when even in the infancy of the internet, free and recreational poker games were available to play. Records however state that the first official real-money hand of poker took place in January 1998 on Planet Poker. The site was exclusively a texas holdem online real money room and the wagers were seen as relatively small.
Of course, the next notable chapter in the rise of online poker is the fable of Chris Moneymaker. The man from Nashville, Tennessee made poker history as he won the main event at the 2003 World Series of Poker after qualifying from an online tournament.
Twenty years on from Moneymaker’s historic win and Texas Hold’em still enjoys the richest popularity of poker variations – in both online and offline settings.
Online poker now refers to Texas Hold’em simply as poker only using the full term to disambiguate between other versions when they are mentioned. As such, lots of new players simply see Texas Hold’em as poker exclusively, despite the original poker game being its own distinct game with different rules.
Variations of Texas Hold’em
As time has passed variations of the variant have emerged to tweak the game to different users or markets. Some of which are more prevalent than others. No-limit Texas Hold’em is a popular choice among professional players and is often used at WSOP events. Some casinos and events don’t like this version as it can leave players high and dry quickly, that’s where the limited games come in.
Ultimate Texas Hold’em is almost a hybrid with the original game and blackjack. That’s because players play against the dealer rather than other players around the table. Casinos like to play this variation as it’s typically a lot faster than the conventional player-versus-player game.
Pineapple Hold’em is a fun way of innovating and adding an extra dimension to the game. Players get three cards instead of two and get to discard one of them before the first round of betting (although other variations allow you to keep it for the first round of betting or even the last round) and you can alter which hands you keep as the flop and river evolve.
