Mystery
The Lone Star State believes that the birthplace of Texas Hold'em originated in the early 1900s in Robstown, Texas. This belief is so strong that Texas Legislators passed legislation to prove it.
Professional card player Johnny Moss says he first became aware of the game in 1926 in Dallas. Doyle Brunson reports he played in the game in the 1950s in Corpus Christi and Waco. In 2007, the Texas state legislature proclaimed Robstown the home of Texas Hold’em.
However, T. Blondie Forbes in the 1920s, a road gambler and member of the Poker Hall of Fame is credited with creating the game. In 1968, an article in Life Magazine speculates that the game started in Tennessee. Unfortunately, there is very little historical documentation to support any of these claims to nail down the facts.
Hello Las Vegas
First introduced to Las Vegas in 1963 at the California Club, the game became popular and quickly spread to the Golden Nugget. In 1967, a group of Texan gamblers and card players, including Crandell Addington, Doyle Brunson, and Amarillo Slim were playing Texas Hold’em full-time in Las Vegas.
In 1969, the Dune casino announced a Texas Hold’em tournament. This proved the ultimate awareness for Texas Hold’em as the Dune occupied prime real estate right on the legendary Vegas strip. This one event is often hailed as the start of Texas Hold’em illustrious rise in popularity. Later, Benny Binion eventually showcased Texas Hold’em as an event in the World Series of Poker.
Poker Origins