Because of the popularity of poker tournaments on television, Texas Hold’em has grown into one of the most popular games in the world.  While thousands of people play this game daily, more than a few of us have no idea about the actual history of the game, other than it came from Texas.  The game that Doyle Brunson has called “The Cadillac” of poker has a rich and interesting history behind it, and here is a brief sampling of it:

The Beginning

Not even poker historians are sure where the actual game of Texas Hold’em derived from, but legend suggests that the first hand of the great game was dealt in the tiny Texas town of Robstown in the early 1900’s.  However, it is documented that the game was brought to the big city, Dallas, in 1929.  It was there that poker legends Brunson, Amarillo Slim, and Crandall Addinton were introduced to the game, and it would be them who introduced the game to Las Vegas.

The Rise in Popularity

Benny Binion, the owner of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino was ahead of his time.  It was his idea to invite the best poker players in Las Vegas to go to his casino so they could crown the grand champion – the year was 1970.  This became what we now know as the World Series of Poker.  From the inception of its current tournament format, in 1971, the participation has risen every year since its birth.  Many casino owners took the opportunity to form their own kinds of tournaments to generate interest at their casinos during this time.  None of them were able to reach the popularity level of Binion and his idea for a World Series of Poker.

The Meteoric Rise

Poker had been on TV before in some capacity since the late 1970’s, but it wasn’t until the invention of a tiny camera that millions of people started watching it on the tube.  The “lip stick” camera was first used in the early 2000’s and it allowed viewers at home to see the players’ hold cards.  This simple invention is often credited with being the single best invention that could have ever happened to poker.  What also generated much interest during this time was the birth of internet poker.  There once was a time when people believed there was no way money would be able to be gambled online, now millions do it each day.  With micro limits available on most poker sites, it allowed even the most novices of players a chance to learn the game without losing very much money.  Today there are thousands of poker players who make a good living playing Texas Hold’em exclusively online.

What does the future hold?

Texas Hold’em is still riding strong after nearly a decade as a huge success.  US poker players may be a little bit worried because of the recently passed legislation, but it is clear that many poker rooms will still accept American business because of the vagueness of the new laws.  Also, if the highly unlikely chance happens that all internet gambling is found illegal in the US, the game will still be strong.  Texas Hold’em players are a loyal bunch, and if you don’t let them play on the internet, they’ll just start playing together in person.