Everything Poker

Poker can be defined as a variety of card games that include betting, and in some cases, hand rankings.  There are several variations about how poker actually began; it has not always been played with chip sets.  Some say it was invented by the Chinese around 969 A.D., while others remember very early German games that included bluffing, betting, and hand rankings. 

Poker played in Apache casinos using the popular clay chip, while around 1834 references were made to a cheating card game that was being played on the riverboats in Mississippi.  Some accounts believe that poker was truly born on the riverboats in Mississippi during that timeframe, it continued to gain momentum and popularity at that point.  It has continued to continuously grow and develop variations in the game. 

Whatever its origin, it is known that poker was very popular during the Wild West period in the United States.  Most every saloon is said to have had poker tables and be ready for a good game.  It was also a popular pastime for soldiers during the Civil War, both Confederate and Union troops.