With the onset of the global internet the game of poker has reached unprecedented heights of popularity.  The dramatic increase in playing witnessed in the last ten years has resulted directly from the advent of online poker.  Playing poker on the internet has opened up an entirely new venue of entertainment and form of gambling, as you can play online for both fun and profit.  This has also resulted in the dramatic increase in the number of poker players gambling globally.

In the four year period between 2001 and 2005 (prior to the passage of the SAFE Port Act in 2006 – US Congressional legislation), poker online revenues alone, grew from $82.7 million to $2.4 billion.  This in itself is a testament to the growth in popularity of online poker.  As early as the late 1990’s, many individuals were enjoying playing poker online for free.  The first website to offer playing for real money was Planet Poker with the first game of its kind being played on New Year’s Day of 1998.  The face of Planet Poker was Mike Caro, poker book author, theorist, and professional player.

Once poker tournaments began being broadcast on television, the advent of the “Hole Card” camera added new interest to the game as millions of viewers could now watch tournament players in live action.  However, when the World Series of Poker (WSOP) was born in 2003, the industry would be forever changed for the better, both offline and online.  When the next WSOP Tournament was held in 2004, the number of players had tripled compared to the first year of the event.

Texas Hold’em tournaments are now some of the most popular amongst players and spectators.

Mar 13 2010