Phil Hellmuth

It’s official! Poker is now a mainstream sport. Yes, only five years after Chris Moneymaker took down the 2003 World Series of Poker for a cool $3 Million dollars America’s fascination with poker has yet to subside. Despite the UIGEA there are thousands of players that play poker online and live and do quite well at it.

Sure, I had my doubts in the beginning after watching an episode or two fo the World Poker Tour but poker continues to gain momentum even in a bad economy. The poker rooms in Las Vegas are still brimming with players and even local poker rooms are still being built around the country in casinos that never had them.

I suppose the game remains popular in part due to the personalities at the tables. Guys like Phil Hellmuth, Scotty Nguyen, and Mike Matuswo come to mind when I think about good poker TV. Also, the fact that the audience can play along by seeing the hole cards adds an entirely new dimension to watching an event on TV.

I also love the diversity of the game. There are great players from each ethnic group from African - American to Asian to Latino and Indian. Poker truly is a universal game of people from all backgrounds. The women are also making headway with Annie Duke winning the Tournament of Champions for a $1 Million dollar score a few years ago. There are great female players like Kathy Liebert, Jennifer Harmon, and Vannessa Rousso.

So pull up a chair and grab some chips. Poker isn’t going anywhere any time soon!