After Chris Moneymaker sparked the public's interest in online poker, increased ratings for poker coverage on television was due to the addition of a camera under the table. This helped turn poker into a spectator sport. So we have Two of a kind: poker goes online and on television.
Online poker on the rise: over 250,000 per day play poker online
As Chris Moneymaker ignite n public's interest in online poker, increased ratings for poker coverage on television was due to the addition of a camera under the table. As more than 250,000 daily users play online, online poker has become one of the fastest-growing industries, if not the fastest, in the Internet gambling virtual world.
The trend of playing poker online has been spreading quickly thanks to a man named Chris Moneymaker. And make money is what he did. Moneymaker earned a slot in the World Series of Poker in 2003 by winning an online satellite tournament.
He took home the series title that year, along with $2.5 million - a large profit compared with the $39 he originally spent to buy into the first tournament. "A lot of people look at Moneymaker as being an average guy off the street," said John Friedberg, 2006 series event champion and online poker professional.
Friedberg said Moneymaker sparked the public's interest in online poker. However, increased ratings for poker coverage on television was due to the addition of a camera under the table.
This helped turn poker into a spectator sport, said Michael Smyth, founder and owner of GamingPublic.com, a Web site offering news and information about Internet gambling, in an e-mail interview.
"Online [poker] is another way to learn strategies from other people when it comes to playing live poker," said Zachary Marty, third year Cal State Fullerton Communications major and poker player.
Online poker is not just a marketplace of skills to learn and acquire.
"The best benefit is that it keeps it fresh and you don't have to leave your home," said Tim Stampher, professional poker player and co-author of upcoming book "Fast Tournaments" about online poker tournaments.
However, accessibility can lead people to abuse the game.
With online poker, users are "able to play so many more hands and multiple tables," Stampher said.
Friedberg said the majority of online poker players is males ages 18 to 25.
"They have more time, more disposable funds, not as much financial responsibility at that point, and they tend to be more risky," Friedberg said.
Poker Web sites created marketing methods for that group, Smyth said.
"The industry offers scholarships and tuition for prizes, does lots of tournaments in bars, associates themselves with various groups on campus like frats, creates college virtual rooms with tournaments and it builds on the community aspects and rivalries between colleges," Smyth said.
Many online poker Web sites competing for business offer incentives like free rolls - basically free cash to play the game with.
However, the SAFE Port Act, passed in November of 2006, prohibits transfering funds from a financial institute, such as a bank, to an Internet gambling Web site.
Friedberg said the government should regulate online play to reap a profit.
"The poker players tend to be crafty, calculating individuals with a substantial amount of pride and they don't believe they are doing anything wrong playing poker online - so they will not go down without a fight," Smyth said.
