With an extensive and intertwined archeological and cultural history, there have always been influences that have increased the popularity of poker in Israel. It first became popular after the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, as a new form of card game entertainment amongst the Jewish population in pre-state Israel. The introduction of modern poker in the 1950s, with the onset of statehood, added to the game's increasing popularity thanks to foreign influence, and the large number of Jewish immigration during Israel's early days.