The exact origins of poker are uncertain. Whe re itis suspected to have originated is 16th century Persia, a card game by the name as As Nas. As Nas was played with 25 cards with 5 different suits. This early version of poker was played in a very similar fashion to modern day poker with such different hands as 3 of a kind. When early Europeans started playing the game, they named it 'poque' or 'pochen.
While poker may find its roots in Europe and Persia, it truly blossomed in the US. Poker was 1ST widely played in New Orleans in the early part of the 18th century. Just before the american civil war, poker spread rapidly from the New Orleans district to towns right across the western frontier. The poker popularity was the result of a general spate of gambling during that time.
The West was comprised largely of speculators and travelers, both groups that loved 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. 4
Those responsible for poker's initial boom were professional gamblers, trying to expand their craft. The professional gambler viewed his occupation as quintessentially American. They considered themselves entrepreneurial businessmen who took advantage of America's growing obsession of gambling.