History of Hold'Em

It was born, allegedly, in a little town called Robstown, Texas. It was a game conceived by professionals, full of dramatic swings and interesting play. Now it is the most popular form of poker in the world.

It is called Texas Hold'Em, and if you have ever played poker, you have played Hold'Em. Millions of dollars are wagered online, in casinos and homes around the world on the game. However, it wasn't always the most popular poker game in the world. In fact, it is a fairly recent phenomenon.

Poker has a centuries-long history, but its popularity exploded in the United States in the 1800s with five-card draw. However, in the 20th century, seven-card stud became the dominant game, especially in casinos. Texas Hold'em didn't emerge until the 1970s, and it exploded in the 1990s, thanks the popularity of the World Series of Poker and the variety of televised poker events. When did Hold'Em start? The Texas state government says it began in Robstown in the early 1900s. Texas based poker players brought the game to Las Vegas in the late 1960s.

Hold'Em's future was determined by the World Series of Poker, which was founded in 1970. No Limit Hold'Em was its championship. In 1972, the event had eight entrants. In 2006, there were 8,000.

It is safe to say it become the most popular poker game in the world In 2003, when Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Pokers Main Event. He earned his spot online for $39. His first-place finish was worth over $2 million.

Internet-based poker became huge, and Hold'Em was the centerpiece. Now, the game is a mult-billion dollar industry played around the world. Ironically, in Texas, there are no legal casinos where people can play Texas Hold'Em for money.

Other forms of poker constantly come on the scene and evolve. Most pros now prefer the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship at the World Series, claiming it is a true test of poker because of the variety of games it offers.

But the most entertaining form to play and watch remains Hold'Em. The evolution of the hole cam -- which allows the audience to see the players hands made it a an incredibly popular sport to watch on television. It also made poker cool, taking it from being a backstreet, under the radar game and making it something everyone could play. The boom continues! Even as some governments most notably the United States try to do everything possible to limit the games growth (especially online), it remains incredibly popular and is played by millions of people around the world.

And though it is roughly a century old, it really grew up in 2003. Now the Main Event is one of the most popular televised events in sports. Offshoots have grown, including the World Poker Tour, and the popular High Stakes Poker; which highlights hands worth thousands of dollars.

Players like Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu have become not just poker stars, but celebrities at the highest level, as popular as many Hollywood actors. Whether it is at that level or playing for pennies with friends. Hold'Em is the most popular poker game in the world and will likely continue to be so for some time.