Omaha Poker History
Omaha poker history is basically the history of poker itself, as Omaha is a very close cousin to Texas Hold’em.
Most experts agree that poker originated from a 16th century Persian card game known as As Nas. As Nas was played with 25 cards with 5 different suits and was reportedly played in a similar fashion to 5 Card Stud. Many of the current hand rankings were also used in As Nas.
The game is thought to have then spread to Europe, where it was called “poque” or “pochen”, which is where the name “poker” is thought to be derived from. Whether poker originated in Persia or Europe and Persia, it came into its own in the United States, where the game’s popularity grew by leaps and bounds.
Poker was first widely played in New Orleans in the early 1800’s and spread quickly throughout the Western frontier. With few laws and a general spirit of risk-taking and speculation, the Wild West was the perfect breeding ground for poker.
While never as socially acceptable as games such as bridge or chess, poker became entrenched enough in American society to survive assorted efforts to stamp it out, especially when anti-gambling sentiments ran high.
When poker was chased out of the West it moved to riverboats on the Mississippi; when it was chased from the riverboats it flourished in California during the Gold Rush. After decades of living on the periphery, poker eventually found a permanent, legal home in Las Vegas as that city grew to become the gambling Mecca of the world.
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