Going back to the days before the poker boom who could have imagined that poker would be such a part of modern day culture in 2010? Not only that, but the game is now considered cool. If you are a poker nerd talking about three betting light and push fold ranges whilst wearing outrageous hats and sunglasses you will appreciated for your skill rather than dismissed as a weird card player. So just what makes Poker so suitable for modern day culture, and will it last?

When Chris Moneymaker turned $40 into $2.5 million in 2003 the idea that cards and poker could be a quick and easy access to wealth really caught the imagination of people. Players note sure about strategy had the added benefit that the newly implemented hole-card cameras showed them the strategy used by the professional players and the myth of “secret strategies” used by professional poker players was broken forever. Players could now see the strategies used to win by players making millions from the game and replicate them into their own poker game. The pace in the growth of poker went up another notch.

Poker rooms began marketing for new players and as the games filled with these new players the potential to earn money from online poker was so high people flocked to join in. Demand and market conditions meant that other poker rooms arrived on the scene to grab their slice of the new and juicy poker pie. The snowball effect took hold and exploded the popularity of the game in a very short space of time.

Suddenly anyone with an Internet connection could play online poker. As more and more households connected to the Internet new players were appearing from everywhere. The age old taboo surrounding the game was now replaced by a game that offered opportunity rather than a guaranteed route to disaster. Players from Backgammon, Chess, Video Games and Mathematics all realised that their skills could be used to dip into the huge prize pools on offer if they mastered poker. The tidal wave of poker had completely smashed into mainstream culture with devastating speed.

Only the global recession in 2007 to 2009 slowed down the gravy train. The bad players had either improved or left the game and people saved rather than spent their money. Gaming became a luxury many families could not afford. A consequence of this meant that the games got tougher and now even the micro-limit cash games are not easy to beat. Any player wanting to learn to play poker must now be aware that we are not in the “glory days” of the poker boom any longer. You can still win but you must learn about bankroll management and take your time before playing against more experienced players. Prize pools are still amazing, but perhaps a little tougher to win.

We have moved into the age of poker training and diligent learning. Fortunately there will always be good player pools in casinos for live events and online poker tournaments will be filled thanks to the boom. We must now earn our crust at the tables with a solid game of ABC poker. Putting in the effort now whilst times are a little harder will be worth it if there is another poker boom in the future. Markets like the Asian market are not fully saturated yet so it is not the end of online poker, only a little quieter than its crazy introduction to mainstream culture.

Things like wide screen monitors and high tech training means poker is now being linked with technology to improve the experience of playing poker online. Poker rooms continue to compete and improve their online software to draw in new customers. Poker is now growing at a smaller and more sustainable rate, but it is still growing and is still a great game to learn, participate and win money from playing and the future is certainly bright for all forms of poker both live and online.

By Malcolm Clarke

Poker enjoys a massive level of participation with hundreds of thousands of players everyday logging into their favourite poker rooms and playing their poker hands. I remember logging on to Ultimate Bet early in 2000 and thinking what a strange way to spend your time playing cards on the Internet. How little did I realise just how much I would enjoy it and so many others in just a few years time! But what makes the game so popular?

The Moneymaker Effect

Turning $40 into $2.5 million is amazing even in today’s poker world but back in 2003 before poker went mainstream it was unheard of. Most people thought poker players were steely nerved gamblers but suddenly an amateur in Chris Moneymaker demonstrated that you could compete with the best players in the world, and win! The introduction of hole card cameras allowed players to watch the professionals and learn a style of play that could win. Players discovered poker at an astonishing rate and the poker boom took off. Poker websites, poker training sites and many books and related poker material hit the market instantly and the tidal wave effect took poker into the mainstream. It has been quite a ride ever since.

The Wow Factor

There is something amazing about watching the top professional poker players fighting it out for pots worth $500,000! There is something very naughty about watching people treat money with such disregard as that contrasts how the majority of us treat money. We also are gripped with following the progress of our favourite players secretly wishing we could do what they do and live the high life. Which we will probably never achieve, but of course every poker player thinks they are good enough to sit among the top players.

Poker Tournament Dreaming

As well as watching the top players play for big money we can also take part. Can you win a fortune at a professional golf event or play football for Man Utd? Unless you are already a professional then no, you cannot. You can buy into any poker tournament or satellite in and take on the best for life changing amounts of money, at any age. Dare to dream because it is possible. Harrison Gimbel is 19 and has just won $2.2 million in one poker tournament. He was staked but a good proportion of that money is his to keep and there is no rule that you must be staked. If you have a chip and a chair you could be the next big winner. That dream keeps poker tournament fields large enough to provide this big wins and who knows, it could be you or me next in line for a massive victory and life changing prizes.

Accessibility and Image

Poker is popular because providing you have a computer and Internet connection you can play anywhere in the world. On holiday next to a swimming pool in your private villa or stuck in your dirty bedroom that really needs a vacuuming are perfect places for online poker. It is easy to play and prizes in online poker can be as crazy as live poker. Poker players are considered cool in today’s society and have a far better street image than, for example, a chess player. Poker players in a group are called “crews”, so that means you are cool if you play poker. We are certainly and most definitely not nerds. 

There are also millions of poker blogs on the Internet that have players posting video, podcasts, live poker radio, hand analysis and poker articles. You have more poker related content online than you could ever read with more being added all the time. Whatever is the main reason poker is so popular in today’s culture it seems there is nothing that can stop its growth.

By Malcolm Clarke