# Origins and Evolution of Poker **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-evolution-of-poker/261638 "2004-08-26T18:00:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-evolution-of-poker/261638/1 "2004-08-26T18:00:19Z")
Where did Poker come from? I’m curious about the origins of the name, the game, the evolution and when the currently popular games were “standardized” – No Limit Hold’em, Omaha, 7 and 5 card stud and draw games. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-evolution-of-poker/261638/2 "2004-08-26T20:10:31Z")
There are [differences](http://play-cash-bingo-online.com/origin-of-poker.html) [of](http://partypoker.iglobalmedia.com/poker-history.html) [opinion](http://pokermag.com/ManageArticle.asp?C=140&A=25). ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-evolution-of-poker/261638/3 "2004-08-26T20:18:34Z")
Interesting stuff, **Otto**. Maybe the Master (not Minh the Master, the _other_ Master) could come in and sort things out. I’m going to add a secondary question, spurred by the link talking about how prevalent card games once were – when did this become widely illegal, or when did saloon and riverboat gambling get wiped out?