Poker is Everywhere!

As many of you know, I am from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In my home country, poker used to be very small. In fact, when I started playing poker for a living, there was exactly one place where it was legal to play. It was a place where there almost never were more than two or three poker tables, and where the table composition usually consisted of seven or eight middle-aged players and a young kid – me. At that time, I knew every Dutchman who was a good or talented poker player – because if he was, he would at least once have played in my game.



How different things are now. There are lots of places where thousands of young players play poker – both legal and illegal. There are hundreds of young players who make a more than decent income from (online) poker, sometimes even more than the prime minister of our country. Yet, I often know not much more about them than their nickname. The Dutch newspapers have poker on the front page, there are more poker sites than ever before, and there are weekly poker shows with excellent ratings – and plans for even more shows.



In other countries, things are no different. The UK has experienced a massive poker boom, in large part because of the many TV broadcasts, and because of the Poker Channel, for instance. People like George Danzer and our very own Michael Keiner have assured me that even in Germany, the longtime sleeping giant in Europe, poker fever has finally found its way throughout the country. Italy and Spain have big plans for the future, and we don't even need to talk about Scandinavia. In addition, it seems like every month or so, another brand-new poker magazine comes out, more often than not, aimed at one specific country. And if you have been only moderately successful in the games, and sometimes even if you just look young, beautiful, or interesting, sponsors are waiting in line to get you to sign with them. The best players don't go home alone anymore – as they frequently hang out with actors, singers, and movie stars while attending exquisite parties. And if you have won tournaments or have in other ways been successful at the tables, you're considered cool and sexy; you're not labelled a "degenerate gambler," as could have happened in the past.



Yes, folks, poker is everywhere. The times when even some of the biggest stars were frequently broke because there was just not enough money to be won, because the overhead was too high, or because they just couldn't cope with the swings seem to be truly in the past. In fact, for those who believe the hype and don't look well enough, it seems like everyone's winning.



Of course, I am a bit more skeptical than most about this growth. I usually prefer steady growth over hypes – because hypes have the unfortunate habit of being short-lived and temporary, rather than long-term. But for those who look at just the here and now, things couldn't be any better. Poker is everywhere, and with just a little bit of talent (or the ability to market yourself in a sexy, positive, or otherwise remarkable manner), one can make enormous amounts of money nowadays.



However, there's an old truth: "What goes up, must come down." It would be good for all of us if by chance this piece of wisdom does not apply to the game that we all love. In other words, let's just hope that poker indeed stays everywhere.