It goes without saying that online poker has been on the rise in several parts of the world but the game has seen the most development in the United States. Americans have always loved poker and this can easily be seen from all of the high-profile and high-stakes poker tournaments that we have seen over the years. Live poker events are still very popular but online poker is slowly becoming a force to reckon with.
Poker, unlike other casino games, is popular for one particular reason – there is some level of skill involved. Even though it is a luck-based game at its core, players have been able to employ wit and neat tricks to better their chances of winning. This has made the game a household name and with the rise of online gambling, the accessibility of the game has increased significantly.
Today, just about anyone can dive into some poker action at any of the hundreds of poker sites available on the internet. This applies even if you are new to poker or online gambling as a whole. In America, a popular and widely recommended starting point is OnlinePokerAmerica.com where you can find beginner-friendly US poker rooms.
Now that online poker has garnered enough support and popularity it has already begun the journey to its next huge development, that is, recognition as a professional sport.
Is Poker a Sport or a Game?
One of the biggest debates pertaining to poker is whether it is a game, a sport, or simply gambling. By definition, poker fits right in because it has elements of each of the aforementioned terms. Let’s break that down.
Since poker is played by competitors and this can be done for entertainment, it qualifies as a game. Also, since it is a skill game that involves both mental and physical exertion, poker qualifies as a sport. Finally, the element of luck that usually takes center-stage when playing without skills makes poker gambling.
Now, our interest in online poker is whether it is viable as a professional sport. The answer to this question is: yes, poker is definitely a sport. You not only have research and understand the game, but you also need to know the rules and build up a robust arsenal of skills. Online poker is no different simply because nearly all of the elements of live poker are transferred over to the online space. It is that simple!
Why It Is Happening Now
Nothing quite tells the story of the current state of poker like the Poker Boom of 2003 to 2006 which ignited an avalanche of interest in the game as more people began to consider it as a spectator sport. Perhaps the most notable event in this regard is the 2003 World Series of Poker which was won by an online qualifier. Chris Moneymaker, the player who is currently one of the world’s best poker players, became the very first person to win the World Series of Poker after qualifying for the very lucrative event online.
It might have taken over a decade for the wider poker community to accept it, but Moneymaker’s achievement was what kicked off the Poker Boom while at the same time proving that online poker was just as viable a sport as live poker. Today online poker tournaments and events are a very big deal as seen from the effort being put in by big industry players such as PokerStars, partypoker, and 888.
Online gaming, in general, has gotten a big boost over the past several years. The rise of online poker as a professional sport can also be attributed to the rise of other online-based activities that are now considered to be sports. Esports is a great example of this change. Just like online poker, esports was once nothing more than a hobbyist endeavor despite the rather obvious inclusion of ‘sports’ in its name. Things have since changed and now esports events attract huge crowds, a plethora of sponsors as well as dozens of professional teams from all around the globe.
Looking closely at the world of online poker and it is pretty easy to see that this applies here too. Hundreds of thousands or even millions of people participate in online poker events and several high-profile sponsors have come on board. There are even huge charity events sponsored by huge poker brands. It has gotten that serious.
It Gets Better
As mentioned earlier, live poker has already taken its position as a respectable professional sport. Online gambling is slowly inching towards that but, it goes without saying that there are still a few shortcomings. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has had quite a huge impact on the way people perceive online gaming and it is bound to fast track some of the developments that will make online poker significantly better both as a professional sport and as a pass time for casual players.
In live poker, one of the skills that players have to garner in order to play competitively is environmental awareness. This essentially involves being able to bluff and read the body language of one’s opponents among other things. Needless to say, this has not been particularly as easy in the online environment due to technological limitations.
Thankfully, technology is advancing very fast and online poker is becoming more and more immersive. Players can now enjoy some poker action in high-definition thanks to high-speed networks and advanced display technologies. That was just the beginning though. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have shown a lot of promise when it comes to delivering on an even-more immersive and near-realistic online poker experience.
This makes playing online poker as a professional sport not only very convenient but also super interesting. Imagine being able to bring the full-size casino experience to wherever you are. The future is clearly very bright for the industry as there is so much more to come. Perhaps we will soon have the online poker Olympics too.