The origins of Texas Holdem are shrouded in mystery, as the game of gambling with cards likely originated over the seas and was brought to America and the Texas region by foreign sailors or soldiers and then renamed to Texas Holdem after it's widespread adoption by the Texas local militia and armies. No doubt every soldier in the Texas territories had at least a passing familiarity with the game of Texas Holdem.

As a matter of routine, traveling soldiers in the days before readily available books, printing materials or any reliable postal service were generally known to make the practice of playing card games standard as a method of passing the time. Naturally, the tradition of wagering on the outcome of these games of chance was implemented by these traveling soldiers in the passage of time as a way to spice up the playing of the Texas Holdem rounds. It isn't hard to see that a game of cards is more interesting with a name like Texas Holdem and money to be lost or won at play, and will garner more players from the average crowd.

Once the colonies became safer and it became more common to see traveling gamblers and gambling professionals taking advantage of local rubes and what were considered marks, towns began to open gambling halls and gaming tables to accommodate the lucrative action involved in gambling and Texas Holdem was a smash hit at the tables in every cow town and watering hole in the territories. Once the popularity of Texas Holdem was established, it wasn't long before every casino and gambling hall worth attending was hosting a well funded Texas Holdem tournament of some sort. The game was so popular, it began to appear in gaming halls worldwide, and the practice of playing Texas Holdem became as routine as any other cards based game.

The practice of making a professional living at Texas Holdem is a popular concept, yet is difficult to successfully execute in the real world. Gambling is, after all a game of chance and can be as lucrative or devastating as luck allows. But there are those with enough talent and the skills to ascertain the prime moments and moves in the art of winning at Texas Holdem to make professional full time paycheck at the card based game. These skills are difficult to cultivate, and require a lifetime to properly acquire.

Experts tend to agree that the essential skills for consistently winning at Texas Holdem are patience and planning. Without the planning that is required beforehand, the gambler depending on luck will never get far. Knowing the cards and the odds that they represent and how to handle every nuance of the Texas Holdem game is critical to the success of the professional Texas Holdem gambler. Once the wealth of knowledge and required patience is acquired through experience and thorough planning of every hand of Texas Holdem, the card player can begin to seriously consider the craft of playing professionally.