The Story of Poker

Let's take a trip through the history of the game we all know and love, poker.

It’s often debated where and when poker was born, but one thing is for sure, it has been around for ages. Its roots can be traced back over 1,000 years. Games played in ancient China and Persia then evolved into European games like “primero” in Spain, where the art of bluffing began, and “poque” in France which made its way to America, where it really took off.

Poker found a home in the United States in the 19th century, especially in places like New Orleans and along the Mississippi River, where “poque” became poker. The 52-card deck was adopted, and poker became a favorite pastime during the Civil War and in Wild West saloons.

When poker hopped over the Atlantic to Europe, Queen Victoria was one of the early adopters. Plenty more caught on later when the American soldiers shared their love for it during World War I. At this point, five-card draw and seven-card stud were the most popular poker variants, and it wasn’t until the 1970s that Texas Hold'em rose to dominance.

Fast forward to the late 90s, and online poker burst onto the scene. On January 1, 1998, the first real money online poker hand was dealt, and the poker landscape changed forever. Being able to play in the comfort of your own home at a time that suited you was a game-changer. During these early years, players from the US made up over 90% of the global online poker market.

PokerStars journey started a few years later in 2001, when the very first player, “pokermaniac” from Sweden, opened their account. Innovating from the start, PokerStars was the first online operator that enabled players to create their own avatars. From then, the game went to another level of popularity all over the world, powered by iconic tournament series like the World Championship of Online Poker and the Spring Championship of Online Poker. Hundreds of billions of hands later and there’s still a seat at the online tables waiting for you.

It’s come a long way, from ancient game to a charge into the digital age. There’s no doubt there are still plenty of all-ins, bad beats and big wins to come in the future of the brilliant game of poker.