The Five Worst Things We Got From The Poker Boom

After golf peaked in the general American consciousness, poker was there to fill in the gap. But the rise in mainstream poker popularity was short-lived. Those who loved the game are still there, but now have to deal with some of the residual effects of that crazy time.

The five worst things we got from the poker boom:

1. Online players who thought they knew the game. While it is fun to take their money, guys who constantly chase cards and require a little plastic index card to remember “what beats what” are just plain no fun to play with. The online poker boom created an army of these folks and released them on the world.

2. Gambling addicts. In all seriousness, online poker was way too accessible for many individuals who had trouble controlling their gambling habits. With hands moving many times faster than live poker, this was the crack cocaine of poker.

3. Too much poker on TV. We all love the World Series of Poker. Heck, the WPT tournaments are nice, slick productions as well. But do we really celebrity tournaments, ladies-only events and hour after hour of televised heads up play? Thanks to the sudden rise of the sport, like it or not, that’s what we got.

4. The Kyl Bill. Arizona Senator Jon Kyl was the author of this bill that essentially put an end to internet poker as we know it the United States. The bill, which made it illegal for banks to allow their credit cards to be used for gaming transactions, was a good thing for compulsive gamblers (see above), but a downer for anyone who wanted to pick up and play without having to put on pants.

5. Celebrity players. Unless we’re talking about Jennifer Tilly (whose movie career was a little suspect before her poker career anyway), the celebs who came out and start playing poker during the boom period were lame at best. Ben Affleck, Tobey McGuire, Matt Damon, Jennifer Garner and others all looked like folks who had too much money and/or time on their hands, and were stealing seats from guys trying to make a legitimate living at the game.

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Five great things to come out of the poker boom

Ah, memories. It was just a few short years ago, when you couldn’t step outside without running into two guys who had qualified for the WSOP. The internet was flush with players, poker movies were being green-lit in Hollywood, and it seemed like the sky was the limit. Then, the roof caved in. Online poker became a no-no in the U.S. and the TV ratings began to plummet. Poker, for better or worse returned to those who loved it in the first place.

But it wasn’t all bittersweet memories. Here are five awesome things that the poker boom left behind (and why we’re grateful it did!):

1. More fish in the sea.
After poker became a mainstream sensation, there were more guppies in the tank that at all the Pet Smart stores in the world combined. And experienced players came right in and took their money – especially online where the games were plentiful and there was always a credit card handy to replenish chip supply. Many of these fish still remain, in a never-ending, never-successful attempt to improve their game.

2. More poker on TV.
Although the number of shows has tapered off a bit, there’s still lots of great poker on TV to choose from. The poker fan no longer must wait until annual snippets from the 1999 WSOP appear magically on ESPN2 at 3:30 AM.

3. A rebirth of great poker writing.
The New Yorker, Esquire, The New York Times and countless great fiction and memoir writers all turned their attention to our grand game. And although the huddled masses are no longer around, the literature remains for our reading pleasure.

4. More tournaments.
Stop by any poker room these days and you’ll find a couple of quick sit and go options mixed in with the week’s big tournaments. The popularity of poker has proven to casinos that there’s money to be made in the rake from these added events than adding a couple of extra blackjack tables on any given night.

5. Nice poker rooms.
In the 12 – 18 months following the height of the poker boom, casinos in Las Vegas and around the world sank millions into refurbishing their poker rooms. What had once been the nastiest, most neglected spot in the joint, now looked like the high-stakes baccarat room in a James Bond movie. The rooms are still there…now with even more table openings!

Go where poker is ALWAYS in fashion. Visit www.pokerchest.com for an incredible selection of chips, tables, cards and other must-have poker accessories.

Coming later this week: The top 5 WORST things to come out of the poker boom.
Don’t you dare miss it!