Historians generally agree that poker's roots can be traced to an ancient Persian game called As-Nas. By the 17th century several variations of As-Nas had developed and spread throughout Europe. You can play Pochen (meaning "bluff") in Germany, Brad in England or ante-up to a game of Poque in France. The latter game found its way to America as the French settled in the Louisiana territory.
Subsequent to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, America's English-speaking gamblers quickly adopted Poque, modified the game and changed the name to poker. The game spread rapidly throughout America. The legendary Mississippi riverboat gamblers of the 1800s extended poker's reach up and down the great Mississippi. Poker was on a roll.
Later in the century, poker continued its momentum as Civil War Rebel soldiers introduced the game to their Yankee counterparts. Northern gamblers brought the game home and introduced it in factories and private clubs throughout the North.
American folklore is filled with countless stories of ranches, gold mines, Old West saloons and even a man's dental fillings changing hands on the luck of a four-flush draw. Some are true. Others? Well, you decide.
Today, poker is played in virtually every community in the United States. In fact, it's rare to find an office, factory, association or club that does not have its own regular game. And, of course, you can always find a good poker game, some new friends and a wealth of delicious entrees any time of the day or night at Cherokee Casino.