A Brief History of Online Poker

The game of poker already had a long and fascinating history before the arrival of the digital revolution. Its exact origins are uncertain, but it first became the game we know today in the Mississippi region in the late 18^th century.

But fast-forward three centuries and the game is booming like never before with hundreds of online sites operating, along with countless “live” games being played all over the world. It’s the online boom that has helped to get us where we are today.

And that, in itself, has a fascinating history.

The early years

The idea that it would be possible to play poker online first emerged as we approached the millennium. The internet was gradually becoming accessible to more people, albeit via very slow dial-up modems.

So, as we moved into the noughties the very first online poker sites started to appear.

These were very basic in every way. The games were simple, the graphics rudimentary and the action was slow. They were also notable for having generally low stakes. So, no-one was going to get rich playing these games, not even the pioneering operators who were forging ahead.

Take-off time

In around 2003 there was a sudden explosion of renewed interest in the game. This was driven by the high profile that poker suddenly gained thanks to a little invention called the hole-card camera.

By being able to covertly show which cards each player was holding this made televised poker a gripping spectacle. Viewers could imagine how they would play the cards themselves – and then see how the actual players went about it.

Alongside this, major tournaments like the World Series of Poker were starting to be televised too.

Online poker sites were quick to latch onto this surge of interest in the game. Aided by advancing technology they were also able to offer a wider range of higher stakes games. Some big operators emerged in this period with some even running online games with the ultimate prize of entry into live tournaments like the WSOP.

The Pros move in

The online scene suddenly started to become more professionalized. Some players even launched their careers by playing on their phone apps or computers. Undoubtedly the highest profile example was the aptly named Chris Moneymaker.

From qualifying through an online route, he went on to win the biggest prize in poker, the WSOP Main Event, in 2003.

The news of this victory opened the floodgates. Before long, many future pros were honing their skills online and taking advantage of the tutorials and other playing tips that the sites had also started to offer.

The stakes are raised 

The snowballing effect of the sector saw more and more high-stakes games being introduced. With some offering prize pots of thousands of dollars this started to attract the cream of the poker world. Players like Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan were regularly to be found online. It also introduced spectators into the mix, keen to see their poker heroes in action.

The crash of 2011

Until the end of the first decade of the 21^st century it had all been going so well for operators and players alike. However, something no-one had taken into account was the need for any kind of regulation of this burgeoning industry.

The US Department of Justice was starting to take notice though and had suspicions, possibly well-founded, that there were elements of fraud and money laundering becoming involved. It was also by no means clear whether online gambling on poker was even legal.

As a result, all major poker sites operating in the US were shut down in 2011 with many of their founders being indicted on a number of charges.

The bounceback

Even today the legal position is not 100% clear. But thousands of players across the country are again playing online poker free from any serious risk of prosecution.

There are a number of states in which there are regulated sites, including Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and this has helped to restore a good level of trust in the game. Players can feel secure that they are playing on reputable sites, many of which have an international presence with a particular emphasis on Europe.

What might the future hold?

There’s no question about it. Online poker is in a very healthy state. More sites are starting to introduce different game variants to make the action faster and more involving. The emergence of technologies like AI and virtual reality are also set to enhance the player experience. The huge success of e-sports is also likely to have a crossover to online poker with tournaments attracting viewership figures like never before.

So, things have come a long, long way since the early days of online poker. It also looks like they’ll have much further to go.