by Kate
15. June 2010 11:16
Here’s why we think poker, and especially online poker, has grown so rapidly over the last 10 years:
• High Stakes Media Coverage
High-stakes poker tournaments throughout the US have been receiving increased media coverage. While ESPN and The Travel Channel are the main channels to cover such events, other channels are following suit. The BRAVO network has been airing weekly celebrity poker tournaments since 2003 and Fox Sports Net has begun airing their own “Late Night Poker” program.
• Texas No Limit Hold’em ensures entertainment
The type of poker played in most of these televised tournaments is Texas No Limit Hold’em. This version of poker is more confrontational and high energy than other versions like 5-card draw or 7-card stud. Texas No Limit Hold’em is a version of poker that not only pleases the players but also the audience.
• WSOP invites the man on the street to play
The World Series of Poker is arguably the most sought after tournament in the world. This tournament has a rich history as well as rich payouts. The 2003 World Series of Poker winner ended up being a 27-year-old accountant, aptly named Chris Moneymaker, securing poker’s reputation for being a rags-to-riches game.
The entrance fee for the WSOP is $10,000 but several online poker services offer the opportunity for less financially advantaged players to win spots. PokerStars.com offers players the chance to play in satellite tournaments for $40. This is how Moneymaker earned his entry into the WSOP. When he made it into the 2003 WSOP it was his first “live” tournament and he went on to win the first prize of $2.5 million. This event led to the notion that online players are just as good as casino players, as well as the notion that anyone, no matter how (un)ranked they are, can win.
• The American Dream sells
In a country that created the concept of and believes in the “American Dream” the concept of a “nobody” making it really appealed to people. Thousands of “nobodies” tried to become poker “somebodies”. ESPN really emphasised this by repeatedly airing images of the critical moment when Moneymaker became a $2,5 millionaire. The internet also capitalised on this by offering online poker in a package that was instant and easy to use without players having to get in their cars and drive to land-based casinos.