Texas Hold 'Em: A History of Ups and Downs
The exact origin of this popular poker game has been in contention for sometime. However, 2007 made it's mark in Texas Hold 'Em history when the Texas State Legislature made official the birthplace of the game. Robstown, Texas is now the officially recognized birth town of Texas Hold 'Em.
1967 was also a high water mark for Texas Hold 'Em. It was during this year that the game was first introduced to Las Vegas. Although it was now being played in the gambling capital of the world, Texas Hold 'Em didn't gain instant success. For several years, it was relegated to a relatively austere room in the Golden Nugget Casino. The Golden Nugget was during that time, the only casino that held Texas Hold 'Em games for its clients.
Due to the nature of the Texas Hold 'Em poker room in the Golden Nugget Casino, there was a demand among professional poker players to change the location to a more affluent place. Their demand was met when a tournament was held at the entrance of the now defunct Dunes Casino in 1969.
The Second Annual Gambling Fraternity Convention also taking place during the same year held several gambling tournaments, including Texas Hold 'Em. This convention later changed its name when the rights were obtained by the Jack and Benny Binion. It was renamed The World Series of Poker and the event's location was transferred to the Binion's Horseshoe Casino.
The popularity of this event grew steadily. The year 1972 only had 8 players involved in the tournament. This figure then jumped to more than 100 in 1982 and to over 200 in the year 1991. The book published in 1978 by poker legend Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson titled Super/System further increased the popularity of Texas Hold 'Em.
Another book published several years later by Al Alvarez also tackled the topic of Texas Hold 'Em. Both books revolutionized how the general public saw Texas Hold 'Em during those years, and are often cited as the catalysts for the continued rise of popularity of the game.
The first few years of the 21st century were the banner years of Texas Hold 'Em. The boom in the popularity of the game was attributed to the rising number of online casinos and poker sites, the broadcast of several top tournaments on TV around the world and several other important mediums such as the abundance of books and articles about the game.
The Cadillac of Poker continues to enjoy a steady increase in its popularity. If the first few years of this century is an indication of what is to come, then we can all rest assured that Texas Hold 'Em is here to stay for a long long time.