ARTICLES
World Poker Tour -- The Beginning of a Phenomenon
World Poker Tour high stakes poker tournaments started a
revolution in the way the game is viewed, enjoyed, followed and
played. Even though the World Series of Poker had been televised
for years before the World Poker Tour (WPT), the game of poker
was elevated when "WPT cams" were placed around the table so
that the world could experience seeing what hand the players
were playing and become emotionally involved in the decisions
that were being made. When you add the fact that hundreds of
thousands of dollars are laid out on the table with watching a
few "instant millionaires" being made at these events, the world
was hooked. But when word got out that anyone could challenge
the planet's top poker player for six to seven-figure piles of
money, individuals from all over came out to take up the
challenge.
The WPT is made up of a number of high stakes poker tournaments
held in different locations all over the globe. They are open to
anyone willing to pay the entry fee, sometimes as high as
$25,000 per seat. A person who wishes to enter any of these
events can simply contact the casino hosting the event to do so.
WPT CEO...
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The Rise of Poker: Railbirds and Raisers
If you are not playing poker, you may soon be in the minority. The game has come a long way from the dangerous days of the road gamblers and prohibited backroom games. It is true that those two things still exist in some places, but the game itself has been propelled into limelight and into legitimate status, due in large part to shows such as the World Poker Tour (Travel Channel) and the World Series of Poker (ESPN).
According to America's Poker Face, an article by Betsy Streisand (USNews.com, 2004), the number of poker players in America has increased to about 80 million, a 30 million increase over the estimated 50 million players just a few years ago. Most of these players still play brick-and-mortar poker (in home games and casinos), but the number of players now taking advantage of the convenience of online poker games is rapidly growing. It is estimated that there are over one million players playing online at well over 1,500 sites. The lobby area of two major sites, PartyPoker.com and PokerStars.com, regularly show over 60,000 and 40,000 players online, respectively. These types of numbers are only expected to explode over the next...
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