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...’

Daniel Negreanu: I hate it when people say 'You messed with the wrong person.' Truth is that person is usually the perfect person to mess with. 1 Dec

Doyle Brunson: OMG… I’m rich. Silver in the hair, gold in the teeth, crystals in the kidneys, sugar in the blood, lead in the ass, iron in the arteries. 7 Nov

Phil Hellmuth: I consider myself a “Hero!” I inspire millions, I have perfect ethics + morals! But public thinks [I’m a] VILLIAN! 9 Dec

Annie Duke: Took care of the no wallet problem by winning $500 in the $1/2 nl game. Now I can go crazy in the Philly airport. 11 Dec

Dan Fleyshman: Moral of the Story: People like sex and controversy. 20 Dec

Doyle Brunson has become a rather dominant figure on Twitter over the last few months and amassed a substantial following. Brunson recently tweeted some poll questions for followers to answer. Three of them were: which player would you like to hang out with? Which poker player would you like to kill? Which poker player would you like to have sex with?

And the winners were:

•    The poker player followers would most like to hang out with: Phil Laak
•    The poker player followers would most like to kill: Phil Hellmuth
•    The poker player followers would most like to have sex with: Shannon Elizabeth, Vanessa Rousso and Jennifer Tilly. The female vote was filtered and that list consisted of Gus Hanson, Patrik Antonius and Phil Ivey.

There’s a new kid on the poker block and this time the kid really is a kid- she’s a 7 year old girl who seems to have become so adept at poker that she already knows over a dozen variants and even featured in Card Player Magazine.

Alexa Fisher's passion for poker began when she was only three years old when she saw it being played on TV. Her dad had also been using playing cards and chips to teach her how to count so she had become adept at the rules and basic strategy of Texas Hold’Em by the time she was five.

Alexa took a trip to this year’s WSOP where she made acquaintances with Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey and Johnny Chan. Poker legend Barbara Enright even took Alexa to Serendipity 3 where she treated the budding poker star to her very first Double Frozen Hot Chocolate. Many of the top pros saw her as a lucky charm and she even gave out some autographs.

While not attending elementary school, she learns as much as she can about Badugi and double-flop Hold’Em. Alexa has learnt the rules to the poker played at the WSOP and outlasted half the field at a charity tournament for Home for Pets.

Notorious for his use of bluffs and aces to deliver knockouts and his over-the-top entrances, Phil “The Poker Brat” Hellmuth kept with tradition and entered the WSOP wearing martial arts gloves and a black and gold fighters robe. He has previously arrived at these events dressed up as Julius Caesar, World War II General George Patton and as a NASCAR driver. But, it seems there is a split between those who like Hellmuth’s antics and those who think he’s tediously over-the-top and showy.

All-time poker great, Doyle Brunson, seems to be one of the latter. He stated on Twitter:"I'm glad I'm not playing today so I won't see Hellmuth make a fool out of himself with his entrance. I can't help thinking it's terrible"

Hellmuth responded by saying: "I love Doyle Brunson… we go out drinking sometimes. … I called him up this morning. I said, 'C'mon Doyle, you and I, we're not the kind of people that make fun of other people.' … It was just a little strong. He said, 'Alright, you're right.' "

Hellmuth expressed his opinion that 70% of the poker world enjoy his dramatic entrances and that it helps to add some excitement to a game that at times can be slow, while Brunson responded on Twitter: "got scolded by PH for my last tweet. Sorry Phil, but I got 103 responses. 99 agreed with me, 4 didn't. I love you anyway, gl in the WSOP."