October 9th, 2008
excerpt:
These are strange days for the poker industry. While the dilettantes have gone on to the next fad — mixed martial arts, perhaps — the diehards and the newfound converts are settling in for the long haul.
We’re past the “fad” stage with poker now. Unlike, say, grunge music or brick-wall comedy clubs, poker isn’t going anywhere. Tens of thousands of players still make their way to Vegas every summer for the World Series of Poker. The highest-profile poker TV shows continue to draw solid ratings even as they approach a decade on the air. Online poker traffic shows no signs of slowing.
But by the same token, the boom is over. Poker isn’t ubiquitous on television anymore. WSOP numbers, while still strong, are sharply down from 2006 levels. Tournament pots are smaller as a result of reduced entry numbers. The Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006 continues to make online poker a hassle for gamers while keeping needed tax revenue out of government coffers.
Click here to read more:
ESPN – The State of Poker 2008 – Poker
Author Contact Info: Jay Busbee, Bluff Magazine
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