Why Poker has grown So Much
Most of us had an image of poker that wasn’t too pretty. Smoke filled rooms, with shady people, with cheating almost expected. So, let’s see how poker became big business.
Three different events occurred that have created this new world. These three things have combined to change how poker is viewed by the public. It is now big business. Read on to see how this has happened.
The first step in the evolution of poker is when in 1998 Planet poker became the first online poker room. Online casinos had been around for about four years by then. So, with people starting to play poker from home our story begins.
We have had poker on television all the way back into the 70’s. The coverage was very limited. Small audiences didn’t help inspire more coverage.
The next step actually was created first. This is the “pocket cam”, the camera that shows you the cards the players have. This was patented by Henry Orenstein in 1994, and first used in Europe in 1997. This invention would prove to be instrumental in the poker boom.
2002 becomes sort of a stepping stone to the poker explosion. Having picked up the WSOP coverage again, ESPN uses the pocket cam for the first time. Also, the WPT (World Poker Tour) is formed and in 2003 will air the first season of the tour, with the pocket cam.
The 2002 WSOP coverage was more successful than past ratings. Pocket cam seems to make a big difference. ESPN decides it will cover more of the tournament next year.
For the first time, they will get action from beginning to end, and add air time. Pocket cam will be used even more. What happens in the 2003 WSOP changes the poker scene completely.
The first fully covered WSOP Main Event sees an internet amateur beat 839 players to win the title and $2.5 million. He outlasts many top name pros in the late stages. Chris Moneymaker qualified online for $40 to get his $10,000 seat.
When an unknown internet player turns $40 in $2.5 million, interest in poker explodes. Everyone wants to get involved in poker. The poker industry takes off.
It started with internet poker, the ease and convenience of playing at home. Then the poker cam made watching poker on television exciting. When Chris Moneymaker, wins the biggest tournament in the world, the poker industry booms.
