Have you been scratching your head for a while now wondering about the Texas Hold’em origin story? We know the feeling.

Yes, it does feel like it’s always been around and like it’s always been the poker game of choice. However, that’s definitely not the case. So read on and get fully informed about the world’s favourite poker game.

The Texas hold’em origin story starts in, well, Texas

According to the Texas Legislature no less, Robstown is the Texas City where the Texas hold’em origin story began. Experts theorise that the game was probably first played in the early 20th century. Slowly but surely, word started to spread about this new poker game and it became increasingly popular throughout the state of Texas. But it wasn’t until it broke out of state borders that it really started to gain traction in the poker community.

Viva Las Vegas

That’s right loyal readers, the modern day popularity of Texas hold’em has a whole lot to thank Vegas for. The game hit the strip in the 1960s in a little joint called the California Club, followed by the Golden Nugget. However, evangelists of the game such as Corky McCorquodale knew that it needed a more prominent venue for it to be taken seriously. In 1969, the perfect spot was found. A showcase game of hold’em was held in the Dunes Casino for all to see. This pivotal moment in the Texas hold’em origin story marks when the wider poker communities started to really take notice.

Just a year later, the first World Series of Poker (WSOP) was held, also in Vegas of course. From the earliest days of the Main Event as we know it, the format has been no limit Texas Hold’em. And as this is widely seen as the most important poker game in the world, it’s not hard to see why hold’em became the poker world’s gold standard.

Speaking of the WSOP, the world got to really know Texas Hold’em via a book published by Al Alvarez. The Biggest Game In Town was all about the 1981 WSOP and it set the public’s imagination on fire. For the first time, the average Joe and Josephine could really get their head around just how special poker and, in particular, hold’em really is. Without this pitstop in the hold’em origin story, who knows where we’d be?

The Texas hold’em origin story spreads far beyond the USA

In the early 1980s, two enterprising Irish men visited Las Vegas and saw just how exciting Texas Hold’em can be. Terry Rogers and Liam Flood decided that it would be a crying shame for the wider world not to have a piece of the action, so they decided to bring it to European poker rooms and with that another milestone of the hold’em origin story was born. Once there, it slowly began its spread to dominate the global poker scene.

Up until the 1990s, seven card stud was actually the most played poker game in the USA. However, there’s just something special about hold’em. It captured the imagination of many creative types, being covered in literature, TV programs and films. And of course, hold’em was well and truly the favorite kind of poker to play from the early days of online poker too.

And now that you’ve got to grips with the hold’em origin story, you might want to play a few hands. And luckily, if you want to play Texas hold’em online, you’ve got so many different options. Well, as long as you’re of legal gambling age and you’re in a jurisdiction that allows online poker. But in a sea of opportunity, what online poker room should you pick? If you’re looking for one, we’d recommend bet365. Not only does it have fantastic promotions, a decent amount of action and slick software, it’s also got a brilliant new player offer. To make the most out of it, use this bet365 bonus code when you sign up.

Remember that you’ve got to be of legal gambling age in your jurisdiction to sign up and play. In the UK and Ireland, that’s 18 years of age. Always gamble responsibly and reach out to Be Gamble Aware for advice and practical tips.

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