Poker Goes Global with Another International Final Table

Poker has come a long way since the half-empty, smoke-filled rooms that the nostalgic players refer to as “the good ol' days.” Once considered a lucky game that the degenerates of society played, people now recognize it as a full-fledged sport that requires skill, patience, and courage.

While the essence of the game is unchanged, its industry has transformed in more ways than one. It has gone commercial, but more importantly, it has gone global.

After the Moneymaker Boom of 2003, it appeared as if poker could legitimately be called the USA’s new national pastime. With virtually every single beer-drinking, pot-bellied Yankee dreaming of ESPN stardom, poker truly seemed to take over the mantle as America’s game.

That is no longer the case. While poker continues to attract millions of Americans to the tables both in brick-and-mortar casinos and online, the rest of the world has joined in on the fun with full force.

Tonight, a Dane and a Russian will compete at the main event for the honor and distinction of being called a world champion. Their journey to the game’s biggest stage is a microcosm for the transformation poker has seen in the last few years.

In 2004, the year after Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker main event, the WSOP welcomed players from 24 different countries and territories from around the globe. All of a sudden, America’s game was starting to have a global feel. In 2005, that number grew to 41 — already more countries than a modern-day World Cup soccer tournament.

But perhaps it was the winner of that 2005 final table that helped speed up the international inquisition that has taken over the game. Australia’s Joe Hachem outlasted 5,618 other players, and few spectators will forget the loud, cheerful, and slightly rambunctious chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oy, oy, oy!” from his supporters. There was a deep sense of national pride that permeated from his victory.

By 2007, 87 countries were represented in the WSOP with players from five different countries (U.S., Canada, England, Russia, and South Africa) making the main event final table. This past year, the growth has continued with players from an astonishing 118 different countries and territories competing in the WSOP.

Just to give some perspective, there were only 80 countries represented at the 2006 winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

In 2008, more than 57 of those 118 countries had citizens cash in a World Series event, and the main event final table was once again a “who’s who” of the emerging international poker scene, with Canada, Russia, and Denmark joining the U.S. with representation at the table. In the end, the Europeans outlasted the North Americans, with Russia’s Ivan Demidov and Denmark’s Peter Eastgate distancing themselves from the rest of the competition.

It is difficult to pinpoint why, exactly, there has been such a monumental worldwide appeal for a game of cards. Perhaps it’s because it’s fairly easy to learn the rules. Perhaps it is the irresistible lust of turning a relatively small entry fee into millions of dollars. Perhaps it is because of the fact that every man and woman, no matter his or her background or history, is equal at the table.

Sure, some players are better than others. This is not exactly the lottery. But with a game that does have an undeniable amount of luck, it is also a game that players feel a noticeable sense of control and self-destiny. There is no other way to explain the fact that people keep coming back to compete. There is that notion that if you play your cards right, you can be a winner.

Poker, for better or for worse, is a democratic game. Phil Hellmuth and other professionals might not like that fact, especially when an amateur who doesn’t know what he’s doing goes all in with nothing but a draw and catches a miracle card on the river. But this is a game where the masses rule. The fact that no big-name pro has won the main event since 2001 serves as evidence.

Perhaps it makes sense, now more than ever, that this democratic game is having such unprecedented worldwide appeal. In 1972, there were only 40 democracies in the world. Today, there are more than 120.
   
Let’s face it, no sport or competition is quite like this. Most people will never be able to hit a ball out of Fenway Park. They will never be able to dunk a basketball. They will never run 40 yards in 4.4 seconds. But they can play poker, and they can play it well if they work at it. Everyone has it within their ability to be successful at this game.

On second thought, maybe it’s not all that difficult to realize why poker has become a global game. This is a competition that is too universal, too pure for any one country to monopolize. It truly is anyone’s game.

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