The rise of Texas Hold'em

Poker, namely Texas Hold'em, is one of the most popular casino games around. But that wasn't always the case, draw Poker was the variant of choice for many fans of the game in the past. Like all casino games, Poker has a rich and diverse history, with a number of sources and influences shaping the game we love and play today. Through the rise of Poker tournaments and online Poker, Texas Hold'em has evolved and come out on top. But where did it all begin; how did the variant get its name and how did it become so popular? Read on to find out more about Texas Hold'em.

From Poque or Pochen to Poker

The game of Poker comes from many possible origins, the most common is the French 'Poque' or German 'Pochen', which means 'to knock'. It's believed the game made its way across the Atlantic in the 1700s, becoming Poker. It immediately became a hit, but ever-changing, it has evolved over the years spawning several variants. While five-card draw was the most popular variation for some time, this was soon taken over by seven-card stud and then more notably Texas Hold'em, which remains the most recognised and popular variation of the game today.

But where did Texas Hold'em come from? Well as the name suggests, the state of Texas was the birthplace of the popular variant. The very first game was played in a small town called Robstown - around the 1900s. Some years later, it reached the city of Dallas, becoming more popular as it attracted a larger following. The game was played in saloons and was also known as 'Devil's River' - hence why the final card in a hand of Hold'em is called the 'river'.

The rise of Hold'em

Texas Hold'em made its way to 'Sin City' - Las Vegas - in the 1960s, by a group of Texan Poker players, including Crandell Addington, Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim. However, during this time, there was only one casino in the whole of Vegas that offered the game and it needed a further push to gain mainstream popularity.

In 1970, Vegas casino owner and Poker player, Benny Binion introduced a series of Poker tournaments that would evolve and become huge - even to this day. The first-ever World Series of Poker was held that year at Binion's Horseshoe, with a number of cash games played. The variations of Poker ranged from five-card stud to razz and the Main Event was Texas Hold'em. Even today, the Main Event at the World Series of Poker is a no-limit Hold'em.

The inaugural tournament consisted of just seven players and five events. Fast forward to 2019, where there were 8,569 entrants to the Main Event alone and a bumper 90 events - and you can see how much the game has grown in popularity.

BOOM - how Hold'em became the most popular variation

The Poker boom is often believed to have been between 2003 and 2006; however, the 1998 film Rounders (starring Matt Damon) was one of the initial factors of the boom. That and the introduction of online Poker the same year.

During the boom, each year the online Poker player pool doubled in size and by the end, not only was Hold'em the most popular form of the game, but Poker as a whole was so much more popular.

One of the big turning points in the popularity of Texas Hold'em occurred during the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event. Amateur Poker player Chris Moneymaker won a seat at the Main Event through winning an online Poker tournament - he went on to win the World Series Main Event, earning a cool $2.5 million. Not only was he the first person to be a world champion after qualifying online, but he was competing in his first live tournament. This year, Moneymaker was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.

The exposure of Texas Hold'em online, on television and popular culture has grown ten-fold and it is actually more popular today than it was pre-boom.