The origins of Texas Hold ’Em

There are plenty of stories about where Texas Hold ’Em came from but the earliest substantial documentation we could find is in a Life Magazine issue dating back to the 1960’s.

Back then, the game was referred to as ‘Hold Me Darling’ or ‘Tennessee Hold Me’ and the writer prophetically predicted that it was to quickly become the new standard big-money game. As the game grew in popularity the ‘Darling’ and the ‘Tennessee’ in the name was dropped, leaving ‘Hold Me’ which then became Hold ’Em which seemed to stick.

Nobody is certain of who invented the game but the Texas State Legislature has officially recognized Robstown, Texas as the game’s birthplace. After being ‘born’ here, players including Crandell Addington, Roscoe Weiser, Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim started playing it.

Life Magazine featured an article written by AD Livingston in the late 1960’s which referred to what would eventually become Texas Hold ’Em.
Livingston said about this new version of poker:

‘I believe the game is a major event in the history of poker and I predict it will replace stud for the rest of the century.’

Take a look at more interesting quotes from the article:

•    ‘The game's fascination lies in the number of players involved -- up to 22 can play.’
•    ‘This was Hold me Darling or Tennessee Hold Me, or just Hold Me for short, the culmination of a new form of poker, widow poker.’
•    ‘At home, I went through my poker library.  None of my books covered Hold me or any game like it.’
•    ‘Hold Me is, in a way, poker upside down.  The really big action, unlike normal poker, can often come at the beginning of a hand, as players try to bully one another out.’
•    ‘A few weeks ago, I called a poker man in Colorado and asked whether Hold Me Darling was being dealt out there.  "Never heard of it", he said, "but a new game has really caught on.  High Hold 'Em.  Each player gets two cards...’