Poker on TV has been the catalyst that allows millions of people to view real poker being played by today's young guns and poker legends. A day does not go by without advertising for another Texas Hold'Em TV poker scheduled event for cable or television. It is becoming the basis for corporate investment in a growing industry and a motivation for players to enter numerous tournaments that offer millions of dollars. Software is being developed for hand held devices and cell phones to play poker. Deals are being made to broadcast live tournaments over the Internet from land based casinos. And if that's not enough, then there are a growing number of television shows based on poker. Even charity events are bringing in money for those who need it behind the affection started by televised tournament events. Plus women are coming to the tables in droves, along with magazines on different versions of the game like Texas Hold'Em marketed especially to women. And the end is not in sight for this trend as more people learn to enjoy and watch the game of poker.
With an estimated 50,000,000 people in the United States alone who play the game, corporations began scrambling to capitalize for all the money that could be made when tournament event ratings showed reflection of the public's appetite. ESPN's poker audience went from 408,000 viewers in 2003 to 1,300,000 per broadcast in 2004. The 2005 World Series of Poker broadcasts will have over 2,000,000 people watching each televised episode when ESPN starts showing them in June. World Poker Tour episodes will be shown in 60 countries and if Steve Lipscomb has his way this will increase to 200 countries. And others are close behind with programs like Celebrity Poker and Poker at the Plaza which are pulling in big ratings. Online poker rooms are now becoming a billion dollar industry. They provide many satellite tournaments that anyone can play in to get a chance to be a television star competing for big bucks. Even states within America such as North Dakota, Illinois and Georgia are competing to pass legislation to legalize poker over the Internet for a piece of the revenue pie, despite the direction of the federal government. Outside of the U.S., England is at the threshold of permitting its land-based casinos to take bets online from U.S. citizens.
Proponents of the game state that the effects of the televised tournaments toward society are positive. Enough to where a person can find "family nights" for playing being offered by organizations promoting the game. Many of the present day champions have stated that they learned how to play from ages as young as 5 from their parents or relatives at home. Kids and teenagers with guidance can learn how to plan strategy, manage money, solve complex problems and understand the psychology of human beings. But every coin has two sides. A concerned number of people are voicing the opinion that the creation of gambling addicts is taking place. More and more land-based and online casinos are taking this seriously by offering help for gambling addiction and the creation of new programs for assistance for those who have problem issues. Having help available for players will become increasingly important as the enthusiasm of the game goes forward.
Is there a limit to the "all in" attitude for Texas Hold'Em tournaments being watched by the public? With retail sales, record ratings for television and cable plus big business pouring millions into it, the trend is still clearly reflecting the upswing. And if state legislation moves in favor of regulation of the online gambling industry for the tax revenue, it might not go away anytime soon. Because no one sits down at a table looking to bust out early, they sit down to win.
Free Online Card Games -- Getting Ready for Las Vegas
Free online card games that can be played over the Internet are great for practice to increase your skills or to just have fun with. Being able to take advantage of playing free card games on your computer like poker and video poker can even prepare you for making cash in the future.
Paid Surveys and Focus Groups - The Secret to Free Money
Paid surveys and focus groups are a little known way for individuals to make money for free. There are businesses ranging from Fortune 500 companies to advertising agencies and market research organizations who look for the opinions of regular consumers and business professionals for their product lines or customers. What is great is that a good number of them pay cash to the participants and it is free of charge to join these types of studies. Paid surveys are generally given online and can range from $2.00 to $70.00 for each survey completed. Focus groups are closely observed groups of participants and mostly pay from $50.00 to $200.00 depending on the topic for 1 or 2 hours of your time.
Play Poker for Free Online
To play poker for free online is one of the easiest and increasingly popular ways to learn the game, especially Texas No-Limit Hold'Em. Virtually all online poker rooms will let players come in at no cost because they would love to have you as a real money player in the future. It is less intimidating and far cheaper than going to a land based poker room. And if you live in an area where you cannot drive to a poker room, playing over the Internet becomes even more attractive. Combining the purchase of a couple of good books on Texas Hold'Em with the 24/7 online availability of a place to practice and learn will allow anyone to increase their knowledge and ability on the game of poker.
