The card game of poker was developed in the United States at some point during the early 19th century, drawing its name and basic concept from much earlier European games. Since its early beginnings, poker has grown to become an extremely popular pastime throughout the world.
Poker is commonly regarded as sharing its ancestry with other games such as As-Nas (Perisian), poque (French) and brag (English). By 1800, poker had spread through the Mississippi River region. It was played in a variety of forms with 52 cards and included both straight poker and stud. The development of poker is linked to the historical movement that also saw the invention of commercial gambling. It spread north along the Mississippi River and to the west during the Gold Rush. It became a common pastime on Mississippi riverboats.
A short time later, the full 52 card French deck was used and the flush was introduced. The draw was also added prior to 1850. During the American Civil War, many additions were made including stud poker (the five card variant) and the straight.
Poker became very popular during the 1970s and modern tournament play in American casinos became popular after the World Series of Poker began. Two significant events in the late 1980s led to the first poker "boom". In 1987, California legalized the flop games of hold 'em and Omaha, as well as stud. Previously only draw games were allowed. In 1988, congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulator Act which legalized casino games on Indian lands. Poker games began rapidly opening within a few short years. Limit Texas Hold 'em was the most widely played game by far in the west and seven card stud was the most widely played game in the east from the late 1980s until 2003.
In the 1990s, poker and casino gambling spread across the United States, most notably in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1998, Planet Poker dealt the first real money online poker game.
Kenny Rogers released The Gambler in 1978 and sang:
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done
At the posted coordinates, you will need to sort through your chips to find the combination to access the log! Good luck!