The Radiance of Knowing

The advent of Internet poker has brought the game from the inside the smoky back room to beneath the hot lights and cameras of television. A game once notorious only for degenerates and hustlers has now become a past time embraced by the masses on a level never seen before. Poker has diffused across race, gender and class lines, can be perceived as a game that brings people together in a time when the world seems to be getting more separated on a daily basis. Examining the pop culture phenomenon poker has become reveals what the casual player thinks of the game, and how popularity has changed the environment at the tables.

Obviously, the biggest influence on the popularization of poker was the 2003 World Series of Poker tournament and the victory of everyday man Chris Moneymaker. Winning his way in through a satellite tournament allowed Moneymaker to parlay a $40 investment and a very marketable last name into $2.5 million and a career as a spokesperson and figurehead for the game. The introduction of the hole card camera on ESPN’s telecasts of the World Series Tournaments allowed novice players to learn very basic strategy and become fascinated with the game while relaxing at home in front of their television.

Many famous musicians, actors, athletes, and even politicians have endorsed poker, legitimizing it in the eyes of many common citizens. American president-elect Barack Obama is known to be an avid card player. Athletes like boxer Evander Holyfield, baseball player David Wells, and Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps have all played in World Series events. They cite that competition in poker releases a similar adrenaline rush as in their respective sports. The visibility brought forth by the name association with famous members of society has certainly played a role in popularizing poker.

The more people brought to the table, the better it is for the gaming environment as a whole. Cooperative game theory operates on the basis that having a larger player pool results in the overall gaming environment being able to be maintained longer, which is something every player can agree is a good thing. Therefore, the more exposure poker has in the main stream of society, the happier we should be as players.