Did you know that there are an estimated 100 million poker players across the globe? That makes it the most popular card game on the planet, and that didn’t happen by accident. The game is easy enough for anyone to learn but challenging enough that becoming a poker master — if it’s even possible at all — would take a lifetime.
Plus, the ability to play online or with a single deck of cards means there’s essentially no barrier to entry. If you want to play, you can — and that’s not something you can say for all games. In this post, we’ll take a deeper dive into poker’s immense popularity, including in the past, the present, and (most likely) the future.
Poker: Popular Since the Beginning
Poker has a long history that stretches back more than two hundred years. However, no one’s precisely sure who invented the game and when; it’s believed to have originated in New Orleans sometime between 1810 and 1825, though there’s also evidence that the game was a development of an earlier game called ‘Poque,’ which could date back as far as 15th century Europe. In any case, while the popularity of the game has been higher at some points than others, it has never really gone out of fashion.
Late 80s – Present Day: Poker Boom
Poker’s current wave of popularity can be traced back to the 1980s when poker tournaments were first televised. But it was in the early 2000s that things really took off. Most poker historians credit the period from 2003 to 2006 as the primary catalyst for the game’s worldwide expansion. Thanks to the availability of online poker, the number of poker players doubled every year during this boom period.
Since then, the online poker world has continued to flourish, with more people playing online than in traditional poker environments. Whether with a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, players can join games from all over the world, playing against opponents of varied skill levels. Plus, while online poker may be where the main action is, there are still plenty of people playing in traditional casinos and at home with their friends, too.
A Versatile, Easily Accessible Game
There have been plenty of games that have risen and fallen out of favor over the years, but poker has remained remarkably resilient. As we mentioned above, it’s never really been out of fashion, and the switch to the online world means that more people than ever before get to play. Part of the appeal is that there are multiple different versions of the game, which allows players to try out a number of variants until they find the one that’s right for them. The most common variant you’ll find online is Texas Hold’em, with Omaha Hi, Omaha Hi-Lo, and 5 Card Stud also popular options. Most poker enthusiasts are familiar with a number of variants.
Poker: An All-Time Classic
Poker has undertaken a pretty impressive journey over the centuries. The people who were playing ‘Poque’ in 15th Century France probably wouldn’t have imagined that millions of people would be playing a descendant of that game several centuries into the future.
And there’s nothing to suggest that the evolution of poker has come to an end, either. With new technologies emerging all the time, there’s every possibility that online poker will become an even more immersive and engaging experience in the next few decades. Though, of course, while some things will change, the fundamentals of the game will likely remain intact — you can’t imagine that they’re going to change the look and function of a deck of cards anytime soon, for instance.
In Conclusion
There are other iconic card games, but there’s none that can match poker for all-out status. Having undergone a long history that saw a journey across Europe, through the saloons of New Orleans, and into the digital era, there’s no telling how long humans will be playing poker for.
