If we are to consider video games as a media platform, it is this blogger’s opinion that we must also include online poker as a form of media. Whether we are to lump this and video games in the same category is another story, although the two have many similar qualities, especially internet-enable video games.
Online poker’s beginnings can be traced back to somewhere in the 1990’s, and this new medium helped set in motion a change in the game of poker, increasing its popularity exponentially. Going from brick & mortar casinos to the digital felt impacted the game for a few reasons.
First, it allowed people a chance to learn the game, for free, without embarrassment. Most poker sites have two different platforms: one with play money, and one for real money. Those who had interest in playing poker, but never had friends or family who played, no longer had to drive to a casino and play for real money. Instead, they could easily log on to their favorite poker website and learn to play the game. Many websites have tutorials on how to play. Even if you make a foolish play, there is no one physically there to chastise you for playing the way you did. However, the implementation of the “chat box” allowed players to communicate with one another, and led to some players “flaming[1]” other players for their perceived poor play.
Second, online poker, in the beginning, gave players the opportunity to satellite their way into major poker tournaments, as discussed in a previous blog. Casinos, due to the fact that they cannot make money operating small-buy in satellite tournaments, did not offer satellite tournaments for nominal costs. Although they usually run satellite tournaments, they are often single table tournaments for one-tenth of the buy in. Many major poker tournament buy ins are in the area of $10,000, meaning the average satellite buy-in ranges from $500-$1,000, a hefty amount of money for the amateur poker player to spend for their chance to play in a big tournament.
However, online poker, because they can run many tables at once without having to take into consideration dealer salaries or space to fit actual tables, were able to run these satellites over many tables. This meant that players could spend just a fraction of the cost they would have to pay at a casino for a chance to win their way into a tournament. Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion, was able to satellite into the tournament with just $40, and he eventually turned that $40 into $2,500,000.[2]
However, online poker, because they can run many tables at once without having to take into consideration dealer salaries or space to fit actual tables, were able to run these satellites over many tables. This meant that players could spend just a fraction of the cost they would have to pay at a casino for a chance to win their way into a tournament. Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion, was able to satellite into the tournament with just $40, and he eventually turned that $40 into $2,500,000.[2]
Third, it gave people under the age of 21, but over the age of 18 a place to play poker for real money. For the most part, casinos require anyone who plays to be over the age of 21, so they can feasibly serve alcoholic beverages to their patrons. However, to play online poker, you simply need to be of the legal age to gamble, which, in many states, is 18[3], and have a credit card to deposit money.
On January 1, 1998, Planet Poker became the first site to offer online poker games for real money. Although they certainly did not have the number of players that are currently playing today, it was the first step toward the phenomenon that it is today. Another major element that Planet Poker brought to the table was the advent of the “sponsored professional player.” Planet Poker brought on Mike Caro, a reputable professional player who brought credence to the website. While there Caro also developed the first security platform, to give players the assurance that they were not being colluded against or cheated in any other way[4].
To have a website sponsor a poker player is a goal for any player aspiring to play the game professionally, especially the tournament poker player. Playing tournament poker for a living means that at sometimes, you may not win money for long streaks at a time, due to the variance of the game. However, a player may win large sums of money at one time, making up for the buy-ins from the other tournaments that they did not show a profit. If an online poker website sponsors you, however, they may pay for your buy-in and hotel fees, allowing you to keep afloat when you “run bad,” a term that means having bad luck.
The mere fact that these online poker websites sponsored players kept unsponsored players coming back in hopes that they may win a few tournaments or get enough televised coverage that t website might sponsor them in the future. This also led to more antics at the poker table during televised poker tournaments. Players will now act in a more dramatic fashion so that they gain enough televised coverage to entice websites to sponsor them.
Building on Planet Poker, a new wave of online poker sites burst onto the scene to cash in on this opportunity that began to present itself. Part two of this blog will pick up from here and focus on how these websites integrated themselves into the televised coverage of online poker, created celebrities, and navigated their way through a debilitating law change that left the online poker landscape debilitated.
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