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Call it the Good Will Hunting Effect?  Call it the Good Will Hunting Effect. The game of poker is enjoying a surge in popularity not seen since the roaring twenties. This year's World Series of Poker Championship (WSOP) drew a record 2,576 players yielding an amazing $49 Million in prizes. Online Poker games are particularly popular, with millions of people signing up daily to try their hand at Texas Hold 'em and Seven Card Stud. The common thread in all of this? The enduring allure of the game of poker and the influence of the media, particularly two celebs from Boston.
The recent surge in popularity for the game of poker in general and the online poker game specifically can be traced to two events: the release of the film, 'Rounders,' and the debut of the lipstick camera. Starring Good Will Hunting writer/actor Matt Damon, the movie Rounders exposed the game of poker to a generation of young players suddenly making it hip to be a No Limit Texas Hold 'em fanatic. Inspired by the movie, millions of new poker players started trying their luck with online poker games. Then, in early 2003, the Travel Channel introduced the now infamous "lipstick camera" to their coverage of the World Poker Tour revolutionizing the way the game of poker was televised. Now, millions of people could suddenly see and enjoy the skill and strategies intrinsic to the game of poker. Professional poker players became overnight celebrities and millions more flocked to cardrooms such as PokerWorld.com to try their luck in an online poker game. Television coverage has since expanded with networks such as ESPN and Bravo featuring regular coverage of poker tournaments. ESPN's coverage focuses largely on the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP), the prestigious poker championship now billed as the World's Richest Sporting Event. This year's event confirmed an ongoing changing of the guard in the game of poker as the established poker professionals fell to the new generation qualifying through online poker games. On the lighter side, the Bravo broadcast, Celebrity Poker, showcases the game of poker's growing popularity with the star set, with celebrities such as Matthew Perry, James Woods and Ben Affleck getting in on the action. Affleck, the Boston mate of Rounders star Matt Damon, is a particularly avid poker player. Frequently entering high-limit casino games and events such as the World Series of Poker (WSOP), Affleck's mega-stardom is increasing the public's fascination with the game of poker, particularly the No Limit Hold 'em version. In an ironic twist, Affleck recently won a poker tournament worthy of Damon's Rounders character when he took home the top prize in the California State Poker Championship. In doing so, Affleck became the first film celebrity to win a major open tournament winning an impressive $356,400 and a $25,000 seat in next April's Bellagio/WPT Championship event.
If you're a relative newcomer looking to find out what all the excitment's about, you've come to the right place. Visit our pages on the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the World Poker Tour (WPT) for more information on the prestigious poker tournaments mentioned here. Better yet, how about getting in on an online poker game and trying the action for yourself. PokerWorld offers a number of options for players new to the game of poker. Start off playing for fun or maybe try a low-limit game on one of our real-money tables. The PokerWorld cardroom is easy-to-use and it prompts you when it's your turn to act so you never have to worry about seeming out of place. The game of poker is exploding in popularity. The biggest reason aside from lipstick cameras and film celebrities? Poker is fun. Try it today. Lee Ferris - PokerWorld.com Send this page to a friend |
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