In this article, we’ll trace how Texas Hold'em evolved from a little-known poker variant in Texas to the world’s most popular form of poker. Through history, locations, media, and online growth, we’ll see the factors behind its rise.
📜 How It All Began: Early Poker Versions
Poker has roots reaching back centuries, evolving in many forms. Games like “poque” in New Orleans in the early 1800s are seen as early ancestors.
In Texas, by the early 1900s, some players claim that Texas Hold'em (or “Hold’em”) was being played in small towns such as Robstown. According to Texas’ state legislature, Robstown is officially recognized as the birthplace of Texas Hold’em, with origins sometime in the early 20th century.
Names of the game varied: “Hold Me Darling,” “Hold Me,” or simply “Hold’em.” The rules weren’t yet standardized, and the game was more of a regional variant.
🚀 The Rise of Texas Hold’em
The popularity of Texas Hold ‘Em Poker really began to increase when the game moved from backroom and home games in Texas to more public venues. A key individual was Corky McCorquodale, who is credited with introducing Texas Hold’em to Las Vegas, specifically at the California Club around 1963.
By the mid-to-late 1960s, casinos in Las Vegas like the Golden Nugget, the Dunes, and Stardust had adopted Hold’em games.
In 1970, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) was inaugurated, and soon after, no-limit Texas Hold’em was selected as the main event format. This was a major turning point that pushed the popularity of Texas Hold'em further.
🎰 Las Vegas Poker Boom
Las Vegas was the stage where Texas Hold’em truly exploded in popularity. Once the game appeared in casinos, it began attracting professional players and spectators.
The prestige of WSOP, held in Las Vegas, helped spread awareness of Texas Hold'em among serious poker players. As tournament entries grew over the decades, so did attention. For example, WSOP Main Event had only a handful of participants in early years (e.g., eight in 1972), but by the 1980s and 1990s, participant numbers had grown into the hundreds.
Las Vegas also benefited from gambling legalization, casino promotion, and tourism, these created an environment where Hold'em could become a major draw, both as a game and as entertainment.
💻 A New Chapter: Online Poker Revolution
The late 1990s brought a real turning point for poker with the rise of online rooms. Suddenly, anyone with an internet connection could jump into a Texas Hold’em game without leaving home.
The real explosion happened in 2003 thanks to Chris Moneymaker. An amateur player, he entered an $86 online satellite on PokerStars, won a seat into a bigger qualifier, and eventually earned a $10,000 ticket to the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas. Against all odds, he went on to win the whole tournament.
His story proved that poker was no longer just for pros or high rollers. Anyone could start small online and reach the top. This moment, later called the Moneymaker Effect, inspired millions and pushed the popularity of Texas Hold’em to new heights.
🎬 Hold’em in Media and Culture
Another major force in the popularity of Texas Hold ‘Em has been media. Books, movies, films, television shows, all of these played big roles:
- Strategy books: For example, Doyle Brunson’s Super/System (1978) was one of the first books to deeply explore Texas Hold'em strategy.
- Journalism and magazine coverage, including Life magazine in 1968 introducing broader audiences to Hold’em under different names.
- Films and TV shows: movies such as Rounders (1998) and Casino Royale include big Hold’em scenes. These helped glamorize the game and bring it into popular culture.
Also, for readers interested in the best poker movies ever made, our site has a curated list: Best Poker Movies of All Time.
From small-town Texas games to the bright lights of Las Vegas and the global online boom, the journey of Texas Hold’em has been full of surprises. Who could have imagined that a local variation would become the world’s favorite poker game? Today the story continues, and it’s the players who are writing the next chapter. Let’s see where the game goes from here.