One commercial that everyone has come across while idling away them on the internet is the poker advertisement. Be it while playing video games or scrolling through your tabloid, this promotion always catches your eye. But how did this game culture find its way into our lives?

History of poker:

While traces of poker were found across the globe, ranging from the lands of Australia to the valleys of the Himalayas, this millennium years’ game is believed to have its roots in China. The game is said to have taken after an age-old traditional game of the ten-card dominoes game, which was a luxury at the disposal of the Chinese emperors. Some middle-eastern theories were also thrown about that poker was an upgraded version of a Persian card game called “As Nas”.

The European version of poker– Poque was the version that started the streak of popularity for this game. The French started playing this game in the early 19th century, which slowly made its way into the French colonies, where it gained widespread sportsmanship, especially in North America. The game culture escalated when it went on a tour over the Missippi river with the soldiers of the civil war. Sepoys on both sides gambled extensively and the trend lasted well into the world war era when even late Queen Victoria took interest in the game. While in the victorian era “poque” was considered a lowly game for the lowly men, as time progressed the game seeped its way into the clergymen and other elites. The suffrage movement also made use of this game as women started taking to the game as a symbol of being equal to men.

Present-day poker:

Even today, poker is considered quite a vulgar game which is justified as most of those who play are either spoilt brat kids or unemployed men with no responsibility to bear on their shoulders. However, it is unfair to the game to blacklist it simply for the reason that the people who vastly play do not fit into any box.

While the game on betist does involve its fair bit of luck in the short run, the game demands long hours of concentration. The longest poker game in history lasted for 8 years, 5 months, and 3 days, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! While holding on to one’s style and confidence during the entire duration is one thing, being able to keep their calm is another very important aspect of poker. Many a time, the stakes of poker are very high, and playing with such a weight on your chest is a stressful deal. So, in no way is poker an imbeciles game.