Hold ‘em was not the game in the beginning of Poker history. Nor was Draw Poker. Nor was Stud Poker. In fact, Texas Hold ‘em most likely originated in the early 1900’s, and card games resembling Poker were being played over a hundred years’ prior. There is much written about card games that likely led to Poker, and this is not to be a tome to get entangled in the historical origins of Poker itself. However, we shall put this to rest here.
The earliest form of Poker is described in Jonathan Green’s Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling. The card game described in that book, published in 1843, is most similar to Draw. However, Draw was not even the first of the Poker games, as there were no actual draws in what was one of the first variations of card games that most closely resembles Poker as we know it today. We shall call this very first Poker variation, described in written form in 1843, Draw-less poker, as players were dealt five cards, followed by unlimited betting. The mechanics of the game were that simple and straightforward.
To elaborate a bit further, the card playing deck consisted of only 20 cards at that time. So, there were no draws, and the game could only be played four handed, at most. Once the 52-card deck came into regular use, more players could partake, and Draws were brought into the mix for what we know today as Draw Poker. Draw Poker was introduced around the mid 1800’s and Stud Poker thereafter, so both variations came decades before Texas Hold ‘em. And Draw-less poker was the predecessor.