Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:09 pm Post subject: The (possible) Origins of Texas Hold'em
Since it was my idea to create this thread, I may as well break it in right .......
I read this article in the March/April 2006 issue of Gambling Online Magazine and found it interesting, I hope you will too. It was written by Basil Nestor.
Flop, Turn, and River
The Origins of Texas Hold'em
Q : Where did the terms flop, turn, and river originate from?
A : The anonymous person (or persons) who invented hold'em didn't leave any records about how the game was developed, so the phrases are somewhat of a mystery. But happily, the game itself offers dozens of clues that can help us solve the puzzle. let's begin with the basic facts:
Hold'em is a variation of 7-card stud. We know this because we have descriptions of 7-card stud that were written before texas hold'em appeared, and we know that poker versions tend to be variations of earlier versions (rathere than entirely spontanious inventions).
Poker was originally played 5-card no draw in the early 19th century. Then 5-card draw was developed, and it was the most popular version by the end of the 19th century. 7-card stud came along after that, and it became the dominant version in the early 20th century. Hold'em 1st appeared in Texas around around 1925. So our anonymous inventor of was probably very familiar with 7-card stud before he developed hold'em.
Keep in mind that organized poker was illegal in most of the U.S. (including Texas) when hold'em was invented. So people who played poker for a living were essentially outlaws. They lived in an edgy world of cash and guns and were always concerned of cheaters, robbers, and the Sheriff. Hold'em is not a game that comes from refined origins. Indeed the person who invented hold'em was probably a tough character, or he knew some tough people.
When we consider the phrases flop, turn, and river in the above context (the inventor being an outlaw, or at least knowing outlaws), and we take a closer look at the other unique phrases in hold'em, a "theme" begins to emerge. The story seems to be about running away, some type of frenzied chase, and a potentially violent end. In fact, the tale may be about an escape, perhaps from a jail, or a chain gang.
For example, everyone begins with cards "in the hole" (in the hole being a place of jail isolation). The 1st person to act is "under the gun". Meanwhile some players are "hiding in the blinds".
The flop is the pivitol moment in hold'em, similar to the crucial yes-or-no moment in an escape from a chain-gang when the prisoner flops down into a ditch or high grass to conceal himself from the guards. The fugitive must "reach the turn" in the in the road to get beyond the sight of the guards. Finally he must "make it to the river" to put the dogs off the scent, perhaps stow away on a boat, and win his race to freedom.
All the way someone is "chasing", hoping to "run him down". How does the chaser beat the leader? Sometimes by taking him down with a "gutshot" straight draw, or a "double gutshot".
And where does the term "holding the nuts" fit in this story?
Well.... frankly, nuts in the English language is a slang reference to testicles. There are 2 of them. When you've got a man by the nuts, the game is over. He cannot run. He's "drawing dead".
Put it all together, and it's easy to theorize that the person who invented hold'em was thinking about a chase. The language of hold'em neatly matches the southern lexicon of the early 20th century, especially the slang phrases. Indeed manhunts were common at that time.
Now consider the basic rhythm of hold'em, unexpected and extreme twists and turns. It is a chase, not at all like the slowly-developing Tombstone-gunslinger-style conflict of 7-card stud where opponents trudge methodically down "streets" for a final showdown.
7-card stud rarely induces the genuine panic of a chase because there's no way to absolutely know what an opponent is holding (though sometimes it's obvious). In contrast, it's often very easy to read an opponents hand in hold'em. You can literally see those big suited cards coming after you while you bet like hell trying to shake the bastards off, all the while praying fervently that your hand survives to the river.
Also community cards in poker were 1st introduced with hold'em. The players are tied together, much as prisoners would have been in a chain gang.
So that's the answer to the mystery. Of course, it's only an educated guess based on the facts. We'll probably never know for sure, but the evidence clearly suggests that hold'em was inspired by a frantic flight. And one thing is certain.... 8 decades later, it's still a breathtaking chase. _________________ Good luck at the tables,
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