Twenty Years and Still Going Strong

All of us at Card Player would like to thank our readers, advertisers, and supporters for making our company the leader in poker media for two decades.

When I purchased Card Player in 1998, it was very clear to me that poker was poised for a huge boom. The game had yet to break out into the mainstream, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before more and more people discovered it.

At that time, thanks in large part to Linda Johnston, Card Player was the biggest factor in poker, and it was my goal to make it even bigger. I had a vision of growing Card Player into a large media company that represented and reported on everything about the game and the industry surrounding the game.

I had my chance after tournament poker boomed and television began broadcasting the action with holecard cameras. Add online poker's explosion, and suddenly new players were flocking to the game, casinos were hosting more tournaments, and new millionaires were being minted each month. Card Player grew into more than just a magazine; it became a full-service media company that, day in and day out, reported on everything happening in poker while continuing its mission of helping readers improve their poker game.

I'm often asked what I see the future holding for poker. First, I predict that the growth of poker is far from slowing down and the game will experience yet another spike. I'm convinced that it is a myth that poker was just a fad that is dying out.

I recall when I was in college and was hooked on duplicate bridge. I was competing daily for points. Today, there are between 30 million and 50 million casual gamers online who enjoy similar games. The number of regular online poker players, often estimated at between 3 million and 5 million, pales in comparison to this group. I see the poker industry reaching out to these casual gamers and offering them a shot at some financial upside through subscription poker sites.

These sites, like SpadeClub.com, which Card Player built and operates, are the next growth area for poker. Not only will these sites bring new players into the game, players who will eventually become regulars in the online rooms and in casinos, they will also open up new opportunities to grow poker in a viral manner.

The Internet nowadays is all about social networking and interacting with like-minded groups. Hard-core fans have discovered poker. But I believe that the big, big growth is yet to come.