The exact origins of Poker are unclear. It seems to have originated from a 16th century Persian card game known as "As Nas". This game was played with 25 cards with 5 different suits.

At Poker History the game played in a similar fashion to modern 5-card stud and possessed similar poker hands rankings, such as three-of-a-kind. When Europeans began to play the game, they called it "Poque" or "Pochen". While Poker's origins may lie in Europe and Persia, it truly developed in the United States.

At Poker History the game was first widely played in New Orleans in the early 1800's. Prior to the American Civil War, poker spread quickly from New Orleans to towns throughout the Western frontier. Poker's spread was the result of a general spread of gambling during the era.

At Poker History the West was comprised largely of speculators and travelers, both groups that enjoyed gambling. Gambling suited the speculator's individualistic and risk-taking traits. Unburdened by family needs and the social stigmas of Southern and Northern culture, travelers were allowed to indulge in this vice for their own entertainment.

While Poker has been played for nearly 200 years, the Online version of the game is a recent phenomenon. Online Poker has boomed in the past couple of years, and it has forever changed the face of Poker. Other types of Online Gambling sites were launched significantly before the first Online Poker Room. Online sportsbooks sprouted in the mid 90's. The mid 90's also witnessed the launch of Online Casinos.

Online Poker exploded in 2004. The increasing popularity of the Poker and the "Moneymaker effect" resulted in even more play at the virtual tables. Because of this, the industry's revenues more than tripled. The industry also saw even more entry, with new firms such as Full Tilt Poker and Noble Poker. Now it seems that the major Online Poker firms may soon become public companies. Sportingbet, a publicly traded online sportsbook, purchased Paradise Poker in October of 2004 for $297.5 million. Currently, other Online Poker firms are considering becoming publicly traded firms. Party Poker, Empire Poker, and Pacific Poker are all potential candidates for a public offering.