The explosion of online poker means that many, many more people are now interested in the game of Texas Hold ‘Em than ever before and they’ve made it the most popular casino and poker game in the world, but the early history of the sport is well worth looking at. The origins of this poker variant are murky, but the state of Texas officially recognizes the small town of Robstown as its birthplace, dating back to the early 1900s.  The game spread throughout Texas through the first half of the Twentieth Century but affirmed its place among poker aficionados in the 1960s.

It was in 1967 when Doyle Brunson, Crandell Addington, and other players brought the game to Las Vegas.  The Golden Nugget Casino was the only place to play the game in the beginning, an old-fashioned sawdust joint that was in downtown away from the glitz and glamour of the strip.   It was after the Las Vegas professional pokers payers were invited to play hold ‘em by the entrance of the Dunes Casino in the strip that the game truly became a phenomenon.  Pros made millions in those years as eager neophytes lined up to learn the sport.

In 1970s Benny and Jack Binion established the World Series of Poker by taking over the failing Gambling Fraternity Convention and moving it to their own Binion’s Horseshoe.  It was after the first year of the now-famous poker tournament that no-limit Texas Hold ‘em became the main event for the WSOP, which helped kick-start its growth.  In 1972, only eight people registered for the main event.  In 1982, it was over 100, and the 2008 event saw over 6,800 players sign up for a massive cash pot.

If you’re interested in Texas Hold ‘Em, the best place to start is with an online poker site like UltimateBet!  You can play for free and begin to understand the game at no cost!  It’s popular for a reason, with fast gameplay and a betting system that makes it more fun than ever to compete against others at the virtual or real poker tables!