The history of poker is a matter of some debate. The name of the game may have descended from the French 'poque', which descended from the German 'pochen'. Poker closely resembles the Persian game of 'as nas', and may have been taught to French settlers by Persian sailors. It is commonly regarded as sharing ancestry with the Renaissance game of 'primero' and the French 'brelan'. The English game 'brag' clearly descended from 'brelan' and incorporated bluffing. It is quite possible that all of these earlier games influenced the development of poker as it exists now.
Englishman Joseph Crowell reported that the game was played in New Orleans in 1829. There was a deck of 20 cards and four players bett on which player's hand was the most valuable. Poker then spread from there to the rest of the country via the Mississippi riverboats. Soon after the full 52-card English deck and also the flush was introduced. During the American Civil War, many additions were made, including draw poker, stud poker and the straight.
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Poker History : Poker Player
