The Bright Future of Poker

If you lump poker into pop culture, it’s certainly one of the hottest trends to grip the United States and Europe this decade. But, like a lot of trends, will it be a passing fancy or does it stand on solid ground? Of course, only time will tell what’s in store for poker’s future, but all signs seem to point in the right direction.

The staggering success of the World Series of Poker shown on ESPN and World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel has caused television producers and production companies to fall over each other in a race to get their own versions of poker on the air.

When Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP, a turning point was achieved. A 27-year-old accountant and relative unknown on the poker scene, Moneymaker beat veteran Sammy Farha to win the $2.5 million top prize. Moneymaker’s road to the WSOP was as improbable as it gets, qualifying vie an Internet poker tournament. This scenario, not to mention the name Moneymaker, is perfect Hollywood material, fostering the get-rich-quick dream that anyone can win the World Series of Poker.

So what’s in poker’s future?

Well, obviously television has jumped on board, and the coming years might produce an all poker cable channel. An idea that was so remote just a few years ago seems to be the natural progression of things.

Online poker will no doubt grow to epic proportions in the coming years. New sites are created weekly to capture this lucrative market, and it’s a young, computer savvy market as well. Because the poker phenomenon has resonated with a young crowd, it has and will continue to be a boon for casinos and card clubs across the country. Poker rooms will be expanded in casinos and new card clubs will likely be built throughout the country. Since TV is focused on no-limit poker, casinos will have to offer it instead of the typical limit games you’ll find now.

One thing is certain, if the celebrity status of poker and hype eventually wanes, the home game will never lose its charm as an experience where friends and family can bond together and enjoy some good, old-fashioned card-playing fun. That foundation will never crack.

(Poker Gazette)

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