The so-called “poker boom” in the early 2000s was the start of a set of dramatic shifts in the industry: prior to the sudden upsurge of interest in the game, poker was mostly a series of fixed-limit cash games played by a tiny percent of the population. Then, seemingly overnight, the World Series of Poker saw a sudden shift in entrants, jumping from 800 in 2003 to some 8,000 a mere three years later; ESPN decided to do a live broadcast of WSOP’s Main Event; new markets for poker started opening and an entirely new figurehead entered the spotlight: the online professional player. But what were the root causes behind this sudden surge of interest, and how did the world of poker respond?
Chris Moneymaker Makes Everyone Want to be a Gambler
From its origins as a minority-interest game, poker was already attracting new attention in the late 1990s with the release of Rounders starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton, which quickly became a cult favorite among male college grads for its portrayal of a talented young poker player up against a bunch of pros. Then several years later life imitated art: 27-year old accountant Chris Moneymaker emerged from obscurity and won the 2003 WSOP and a cool $2.5 million in prize money. That an amateur had qualified for the World Series through an online poker site was unheard of; that he had gone up against the legends of poker and emerged victorious made him a full-blown icon. His unlikely win literally inspired a “if he can do it, so can I” attitude among thousands of people with an interest in learning the game and an Internet connection.
The Money Stakes Get a Whole Lot Higher
The so-called Moneymaker Effect was nurtured by the influx of novice players, a buoyant economy, fewer limits on buy-ins and the ease of access to online games. The poker brands and sponsorship deals started establishing themselves, hyping the scene with an all-out scramble get the best poker talent signed to their new websites. The net result was the highest tournament winnings that anyone in the industry had ever seen: the so-called “salad days” saw FullTilt offering $10 million for the 2006 WSOP Main Event. Even beginners on the felt could cash out by following the popularized ABC Poker strategy: playing tight, never tilting and simply folding whenever there was a lack of information available on any opponents.
Hole Card Cameras Lead to Spike in Tournament Viewing
The watchability of televised and streamed poker games was no doubt secured by Henry Orenstein’s patented hole card camera, which allowed viewers to have a glimpse at each player’s cards during the live action for the first time ever. The under-the-table camera gave viewers a powerful window into the game behind the game and the mind of the player, rendering it a perfect tool for our data-obsessed era and giving even more beginner’s a practical head-start into game theory.
General Standards of Play Skyrocket
The accelerated access to information online about poker, strategy and the establishing of online poker forums for amateur players to share and learn from one another led to a radical improvement of skills among players across the board. According to poker player Kevin Ko: “Players began thinking more deeply about the game and how to derive profit in other ways beyond set mining.” This was principally down to the advent of forums like Two Plus Two, training offered by websites like 888Poker and software such as PokerTracker. These resources have benefitted amateur players by encouraging a learn-by-playing approach that emphasises a continual review and improvement of performance.
Play is More Aggressive Than Ever
The new breed of poker player doesn’t tend to ride on instinct alone: their approach is characterized by a near-obsessive mathematical approach with bigger bets that span more streets. This has given rise to a number of maneuvers that can be seen at the felt with increasing frequency: betting on air (also known as a continuation or 3-bet) in which a wave of pre-flop aggression among players aims to isolate and eliminate weaker opponents waiting for premium hands to reraise; and calling as a means of throwing the game into ambiguity – after all, folding or raising are actions that reveal much more about opponents’ cards. Brooklyn poker player Lou Krieger recalls when calling used to be considered weakness in old-school players, “pump it or dump it” being a popular saying; now it has been reworked as pretend weak play to fill the game, and the players, with doubt.
Poker has Become a Career Choice
With more middle-class college grads opting to become professional poker players than ever, it’s fair to say that the industry now unofficially offers people a means of building a career. This isn’t just speculation, giving that there’s now more online advice than ever on dealing with business expenses from gambling and taxation advice for both professionals and amateurs. Like most unconventional jobs which have subsequently become pretty much conventional (online mining, anyone?), poker is now very much considered a viable means of making a living with an increasing number of structures and opportunities in place to help enthusiasts and talented individuals succeed in this area.
From humble origins, poker has blasted its way into the public arena in a big way, attracting red-hot talent and widespread recognition. Although the idea of a second poker boom is highly criticized by experts and casual fans alike, it is commonly agreed that the increasing sponsorship deals, audience figures and playing pools will see the industry continue to spill into the mainstream.
