Poker is one of the most popular games in the world, played by millions of people across the globe every day. The game of poker has an interesting history. According to History.com, some historians suggest poker can be traced to 10th century China, where the then-emperor played a domino-card game that bears similarities to modern poker. The exact origins of poker are unknown, and it’s possible that today’s game is an amalgam of various games that were popular throughout history. One such game is As Nas, a Persian card game that dates back to the 16th century. History.com notes that poque, a game that became popular in 17th century France, is the clos est European predecessor to modern-day poker. Germans played a similar game known as “pochen” during this time, and both games were based on a game made popular in Spain during the 16th century. In that game, known as “primero,” each player would be dealt three cards. Betting on their hands and even bluffing were a part of primero, and that particular part of the game no doubt rings familiar to modern poker players. When countries like France and Spain expanded their empires into North America and other parts of the world, they brought their games with them. Ultimately, the rules of games such as poque and primero were tweaked, laying the foundation for the game modern card players know as poker.