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It should come as no surprise that Texas Hold 'em poker is
responsible for the dramatic upsurge in online gaming profits. After
all, one only has to turn on the television most any weeknight, and a
poker tournament will surely be showing somewhere. The exposure these
days is relentless. The draw, of course, is the thrill of the
final table and the riches that come with it. From poker's roots in
dusty Old West saloons, to dazzling casino rooms, to the home PC, it is
everywhere today. According to the research service PokerPulse, more
than 1.78 million poker players made real money wagers online in
January. That number is only expected to increase as tournament prize
money continues to grow. On most any given day, an online 'hold 'em'
tourney will reward those "in the money" with purses of $100,000,
$250,000, even $500,000. Certainly $2,500,000 is a large sum by
anyone's standards. And that's just what a young fellow by the name of
Chris Moneymaker from Tennesse won in the 2003 World Series of Poker
(WSOP). That princely sum was parlayed from a $39 investment in a
"qualifier" at an online poker room. His overnight success story aired
countless times on cable television, and suddenly, poker was hot. Not
to be outdone, Greg "Fossilman" Raymer turned a $160 "satellite" entry
at the very same poker site into a seat at the 2004 WSOP. Raymer's
result? Champion! And a staggering first prize of $5,000,000. Online
poker had arrived. Consider that in January 2002 the industry
gross 'rake' (or fees collected) per day was around $100,000. Today,
it's near $2.5 million per day. An estimated $16 billion was wagered on
internet poker sites in 2004. And, as new devotees enroll in
mind-boggling numbers, it's difficult to gauge an industry consensus on
just where the limit lies. Though the poker resurgence began in
the U.S., it may be growing faster overseas. Britain, already a
gambling-crazed country, accounts for roughly 80% of the European poker
market. Germany and Austria have burgeoning poker clubs and
communities, while the Scandinavian population may be the ripest
emerging new market. Also, it's interesting to note that 30-40% of new
European players are female. The phenomenon of women in poker may
hold the key to explaining poker's rapid ascent. In the past, poker was
viewed more in the Old West sense. That is, that poker was a game for
males conducted mostly illicitly and in less than pleasing
surroundings. In fact, up until just a couple of years ago most Las
Vegas casinos had gotten out of the poker business. A handful of poker
rooms on old Fremont Street were essentially the only games in town. The
internet, however, changed all that. It offers anonymity, is safe and
hassle-free, and presents the opportunity for copious rewards in
exchange for relatively modest entry fees. What more could a girl want?
If she (or he) has the skill, it's possible to compete alongside
world-class players and actually win. But is it extraordinary
skill which will get you to the final table? Perhaps. Numerous authors
have written on the subject of the perfect poker strategy. The odds,
the hands, probabilities, you simply must know what you're doing they
say. Just don't tell that to Chris Moneymaker though. He'd never even
read a book on poker prior to winning it all.
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