Popular Poker - The Popularity of Texas Hold'em
Texas Hold'em poker has gained much popularity since the first WSOP. Its popularity was boosted when the game was televised and reached the Internet.
The Most Popular Form of Poker
Texas Hold'em, which is also known as hold'em and even holdem, has become the most popular poker game in Europe and all over North America. This poker game is popular in land-based casinos and in online casinos, and in poker card rooms and dedicated online poker sites that offer nothing but poker to their players.
Community Card Game
Texas Hold'em is a community card poker game, which means that it has some face down cards, and some shared cards (community cards), from which the players will make their poker hand. The fact that it is a community card game has helped its popularity to rise since it makes the game more challenging and interesting for players, even though it manages to retain its simplicity.
History of Texas Hold'em
Texas Hold'em, as with many other card games, does not have a clear origin. Most people agree that it began in Texas in the early 1900's. It is popularly believed that the game began in Robstown, Texas, and became very popular throughout Texas over a number of years. In the 1970's, the turning point for Texas Hold'em took place at the first World Series of Poker (WSOP). Benny Binion hosted the WSOP in his own card room, at the Binions Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. The decision to use Texas Hold'em as the deciding game in the WSOP's main event caused its popularity to rise instantly.
Poker on Television and on the Internet
Although poker, and especially Texas Hold'em had soared in popularity with the first WSOP event, the main main popularity surges have come about since the year 2000. Showing poker tournaments on television, and in some movies, helped to push the popularity of poker up a few notches. Until this time, 7 Card Stud had been the most popular form of poker played in land-based casinos in the United States. Once the World Series of Poker's main event was televised, Texas Hold'em jumped to the top of the poker popularity list. The other major tournament to be televised was the World Poker Tour (WPT) event.
Once poker was offered to players on the Internet, giving people all over the world access to the game, it again soared in popularity. Since Texas Hold'em had become so popular, naturally, online poker sites offered this game as their main poker variant. More and more poker players began to play Texas Hold'em poker as their first choice in poker games, although they still played other variants of online poker.
Books on Texas Hold'em Poker
There are many books available today that have been written about Texas Hold'em poker. These books can be found both online and in hard copies. The books have been written partially because the game has become very popular and players want to read about strategy and the experience of famous poker players, and also because the game itself lends itself to strategic analysis and mathematical analysis.