Poker is one of the oldest casino games in the world and has been around for centuries. The rise in the adoption of the internet and modern mobile technology led to the rise of a new variant of poker called online poker. Over the years, online poker has grown to become the most popular form of poker and is being played by millions of people around the world.
However, online poker has come a really long way, and with new technology still being released, it is expected to grow further. Here, we’ll look at the evolution of online poker since its inception and also peek into the future to see what’s expected in the industry.
Evolution of Online Poker
The origins of online poker can be traced back to the early days of the internet when people played poker games in various internet chat rooms. IRC poker was one of the earliest forms of online poker and offered various variations like limit Texas hold ’em, no-limit Texas hold ’em, limit Omaha hold ’em (Hi-Lo), and poker tournaments. However, the first online poker room to offer real money games was Planet Poker, launched by Randy Blumer in January 1998. This signified a major milestone in online poker history and was pivotal in the rise of other poker rooms.
In no time, Planet Poker became very popular in the gaming community, and a call for a worthy competition led to the launch of Paradise Poker barely a year later. Many more sites followed, and in a bid to outclass competitors, they began to offer special incentives. One of which was satellite tournaments that offered winners of online poker tournaments entry to real-life tournaments.
American player Chris Moneymaker became a poker legend in 2003 after qualifying for the 2003 World Series of Poker tournament through an online poker tournament win on PokerStars. Surprisingly, Moneymaker went on to win the World Series leading to a massive rise in the popularity of online poker. The next World Series included three players from online cardrooms, with another PokerStars player Greg Raymer winning the tournament. From then on, online poker has been on a meteoric rise. In 2008, a decade after the launch of the first poker room, over 400 active poker sites were available to players. Today, hundreds of online poker rooms are listed on platforms like Top10PokerSites.net. You can visit the platform to sign up with your preferred site to play for real money.
Black Friday
In 2006, President Bush officially signed a bill that contained the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, a provision that prevented online gambling sites from performing financial transactions in the US. Several major poker sites like PartyPoker and Bwin officially left the US market, but others like PokerStars and Absolute Poker remained.
On April 15th, 2011, a day that’s now referred to as Black Friday in the poker world, the US Department of Justice seized the domain of the three major cardrooms in the country, PokerStars, Absolute, and Full Tilt Poker, for violation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Players could no longer access their accounts or funds on the sites. This marked a significant downturn in the growth of online poker as America was the industry’s biggest market.
Covid-19
The 2020 pandemic and lockdown led to a massive rise in the growth of online poker players. The market increased by roughly 43% after the pandemic and recorded a 255% increase in the number of first-time players. Major poker sites also reported a 30% increase in traffic, with the growth attributed to the unavailability of traditional poker rooms at the time.
Future Innovations Expected in the Online Poker Industry
The future is bright for the online poker industry. With more countries adopting cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, payments in online poker may become cheaper, faster, more secure, and more private. Multiple poker rooms are already adopting the technology, and we might see a massive increase in the coming years. Some of the more popular cryptocurrencies include:
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum
- Litecoin
- USDT
- BUSD.
The industry might also see the introduction of new software tools to improve player experience. For example, AI-driven systems like auto-analysis tools can track players’ playing patterns and provide recommendations on the best hands, strategies, and bet sizes. It can also help in curbing addictive gambling.
The rise in VR might also see players experience a more immersive form of online poker and open up a world of open-world virtual poker. Furthermore, the introduction of 5G technology will also improve the playing experience, with more sites being developed to handle multiple players without issues. Some other future innovations to watch out for include:
- More poker live streaming sites to reduce reliance on pay-per-view for tournaments
- Improved customer support
- Bankroll trackers and odd calculators.
The Bottom Line
Since its debut over two decades ago, online poker has proven to be a force in the gaming industry. In fact, it is credited with the rise in the popularity of online gambling and is one of the most profitable online gaming markets. Here, we explored the journey so far and looked at the evolution of the industry. We also covered some future innovations expected to hit the industry soon.
