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Internet Poker

Men everywhere, listen up: the inter-net is no longer just for porn.

Now, perhaps, there is an equal buzz generated by the latest dotcom craze. I guess females may be interested as well; atleast more interested than they are in porn.

Perhaps.

Probably.

For a game that was created centuries ago in Persia with other routes in Germany and France and was modified in the 1800’s on riverboats on the Mississippi; it hasn’t done too, too badly.

Not too badly at all. It has only far exceeded any group of radical optimists’ wildest expectations– spreading to the chaos we call the Internet and far beyond.

The internet is home to a game called poker for millions of people not only in North America, but throughout the world.

A game that’s played on some level by an estimated 50 million Americans, poker is the engine driving a surge in gambling from Indian casinos all the way to Vegas. Now poker has even spread to burgeoning internet gambling and gaming sites all available on your home computer.

According to pokerpulse.com, an industry-tracking site, more than $100 million US each day in bets passes through online poker sites. Now I could compare that number with something just as wild, but this number speaks for itself.

“Texas Hold’Em” is a style of poker that’s called a game of skill by its winners and a game of luck by its losers– though they both are correct. You’ll need the pro-per dose of both to hit it big I’m sure.

Despite players claiming that they’ll bet Hold’Em isn’t gambling, it has been deemed illegal to run such a corporation in the US. “Unfortunately, poker has been lumped in with all other online gambling, which is illegal in the US [and Canada]. That’s why none of these sites are physically located in the US,” said a Partypoker representative, whose operation is located in Spain. Other site operations are based in Antigua, Costa Rica and Cyprus.

These sites may primarily serve citizens of a country where playing is technically illegal; but see if that stops them or yields them.

Though many individual states have laws against gambling online, prosecuting is almost unheard of in the United States. Running the games is another matter, which is why these poker sites are based offshore.

It is illegal in the US and Canada partly because these governments choose not to tax these sites because of existing laws. Rhetorical question: Where would you rather start a business, somewhere that taxes or somewhere that does not?

California is one of the few states that do not view playing poker as illegal. It hasn’t for more than a century. It views poker as a game of skill; therefore not technically gambling. Their standpoint is that perhaps it is pushing your luck, but not gambling.

Despite not prosecuting, the government pressures credit-card companies to comply with the online gambling ban. All this means is players may have to jump through hoops in order to play. This may include using an out of country based “internet teller” that works with banks to set-up an online account.

People will all too gladly jump through these very minor hoops in order to get access to a game online.

“Poker requires a lot of skill; you don’t see professional slot machine players. What we offer is very similar to the stock exchange, which is another form of skilled gambling. Someone in the US government needs to take a serious look at this.”

Despite the fuzzy clarity and almost paradoxal claims, players manage to man-euver seemingly above the law.

Industry estimates are that pokerstars.com and partypoker.com (the industry leaders) will generate $10 million each in profits this year alone. That represents a 40% increase over the past year.

Boom?

I’d say.

So why has this blown up so suddenly?

Accessibility and availability for starters.

Friends too busy?

No problem. There are hundreds of sites online that can be easily accessed whenever and from wherever in the world with a standard internet connection.

Secondly, the low cost buy-in to play over the internet. For the small cost of free, you can begin a new trend in your life. That is an attractive buy-in, especially for beginners who prefer the sterile environment of no cost that the internet provides. Most online sites have free tables available intended for beginners.

The sites run these tables because they view them as a gateway in essence. After players test the waters and a bit of confidence gets stored, chances are good enough for the site that they’ll push their luck into real money tables. And needless to say, there are more people that lose than they do win.

Another reason specifically online poker has taken off is because of the vast amounts of under-aged players.

Who’s going to check ID online? Answer, favourable to all the kids out there, is nobody. So an alias is used, well, well because it’ll check out; a better option without the ramifications and trouble you can get yourself into from pulling out a fake ID in a casino. Bottom line is anonymity saves potential embarrassment.

Another reason it has taken off is be-cause you can play so much quicker and more often online than at a standard table or with your friends in your rec-room. You can easily play a game a minute online, while it may take minutes offline for that bozo friend of yours to decide if he’s going “all-in” with a pair of deuces before the flop.

Poker, especially Texas Hold’Em, has become a spectator sport on television. Example, the Travel Channel’s ever-so-popular “World Poker Tour.” It is the channel’s all-time most successful show to date. This and shows alike are helping lure in the middle-of-the-road fan; most who have never even played the game. An estimated 5 million Americans weekly watch the show. Shows alike air on ESPN and Fox Sports Net and have also blown up to help the cause online.

The success is due to the science of “lipstick cameras.” These are cameras that allow the viewer to see the hand each player is dealt. These initial two cards dealt you as the viewer are given the ability to see in Hold’Em are called the “down cards.” Players match these to the “community cards.” This gives the audience the perception– or allusion perhaps– “I could beat these guys.” Wouldn’t be too exciting never knowing what cards the players are playing, now would it?

As a viewer you are also given the ex-act odds each player will win before every turn depending on the community cards raised by the dealer. So at home, you can differentiate the smart plays from the dumb ones.

It’s a worldwide thing too, poker, all webbed together by the web itself. Don’t believe that? Look and you’ll find 839 entrants from 27 countries who are willing to pay the steep $10,000 buy-in to play in the Hold’Em main event at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. It’s the biggest of 35 events at the World Series, televised in 7 installments on ESPN.

Completing the circle, such exposure gained by the shows on television send viewers into cardrooms and especially onto to the web to experience the aura firsthand.

Thing is, anyone can play, and anyone can win. What could be some kids’ struggling image as a nerd, can be resurrected by poker and hitting it big. Antonio Esfundiari shares his story with how his third place finish at the World Poker Tour’s installment in San Jose transformed him and his status. Here he won more than just money, he won a personal rep. “I was such a dork in high school. All I ever wanted was to be popular. My dream was for someone, someday, to ask me for my autograph.”

Dreams do come true as evidence suggests. Antonio is locally known as “Kid-44”– because of the $44,000 he rightfully stole from the pros on tour bluffing all the way. This newfound status helped restore the confidence that he never had.

Everybody who’s familiar with poker on TV knows all about Chris Moneymaker. Do you? Well his name isn’t just any coincidence. Chris was only an average guy, a Tennessee accountant making $40,000 a year– which isn’t the money-making part, incase you were wondering– when he was “working” he decided to put in his measly (considering the payout) $39 entry fee into an online tournament. Prize when it was all-said-and-done was $2.5 million at the WPT. Co-workers were calling his money “dead-money.”

It wasn’t dead.

He went on to win this prize proving his co-workers wrong. Chris is a living example of what can happen. People are playing poker, online especially, sometimes solely because of Chris’ win.

It’s not rare to find Chris and other WPT players playing online– advertising essentially– because that is where it all started for them as well.

James Macmanus, a winner on tour, has made it big from not from winning, but writing about the game. Positively Fifth Street is the title of his best-selling novel which has cracked best-seller lists. In it, he states a comment which many buy in-to– “With the right cards and a cool head, any home game hotshot can win.” When people see such comments and want to try their chances for themselves to answer the questions:

Why not me? Why not now?

However people have to remember: they certainly don’t build casinos so you can go on in there and take home all the money. Same goes for these internet sites. The site views that cash as “their money” and no one just lets their money get stolen from them. These sites obviously don’t like it being rightfully won either.

The future of this industry looks anything but bleak and shouldn’t go through the struggle of adolescence.

Why should it do anything but further flourish?

The WPT is hosting another “real-money” tournament where top prize is a ridiculous 5 million dollars. That’s double what Moneymaker took home. And with the WPT comes television rights, comes more advertising to play online. That means more people coming online trying their luck– and often pushing it.

And don’t think that unless you have a flashy name like “Moneymaker” that it’s impossible. Remember, anyone can play, anyone can win. Thus, anyone can be their own “moneymaker” so to speak.

Have you ever been to a casino? If your answer is no, your days may be seriously limited.

Would you like to win 5 large? Well, for starters, I bet internet porn can’t do it for you.