Online poker stronger than ever or gathering a new audience?

There is no doubt that online poker is here to stay and growing in popularity every year. Millions of players are opting every hour to play in tournaments or sit in with other poker players from around the world.

According to current estimates, the worldwide poker market is worth well over $9 billion, but there are many rumors saying that it is slowly dying. That is certainly not the case and if we examine the situation, online poker is not dying, it’s evolving and shifting towards a new audience.

We can’t, of course, compare with the online poker boom in the 2000s which led to a rise in the number of people playing online and in real-world scenarios. This was the period in which more people learned about Texas Hold’em, I am certainly part of this generation.

The evolution of online poker has many layers and among which we can name the adoption of mobile gaming and of course the changes in the players.

The players have learned a lot and they have also evolved and we can certainly say the game has changed. It seems that it is no longer enough to read games off one’s starting hand and achieve long-term profitability. It has to be more than that!

Today, there are many online poker schools and some of them even give free bankrolls away, coach and try to train winning players. If you search online, you can find a plethora of free articles accessible to everyone to help a player to improve their game.

Poker is a skill game and always had a social side. The game is enjoyed by a mixed crowd of players across the globe and all of them have their role models or patterns they follow. Some are fantasizing of becoming a genuine Bret Maverick (played by Mel Gibson in Maverick) and making millions by being smart at the poker table or dream about becoming a brand ambassador at one of the large poker operators, just like Martin Jacobson (Swedish professional poker player) or Vivi Saliba (Brazilian professional poker player).

Online poker has become a gigantic industry in the past ten years and is attracting both male and female players to play and compete for that big pot. Winning at poker is always a great experience and these guys are striving to have these experiences as often as possible.

But, as we always analyze the future player, we must analyze online poker in the perspective of millennials. Does online poker appeal to millennials or it is overlooked because of the gambling part.

Well, you might be surprised to learn that online poker fits millennials like a glove, this is why I’ve mentioned a new audience in the introduction part.

Online poker is an enjoyable way to utilize skills, there is no need for a large investment, it’s a great way to blow off some steam and it’s fun! All these assets make it appealing for millennials, who are generally the most educated generation ever. Just think about some of the skills the millennials possess. By using their skills, millennials can have a broader insight into the world of poker and not to mention that the game can be played anywhere via a smartphone or tablet.

Online poker can be played wherever you are while retaining the social aspect and you can chat and play with people all over the world. It’s a win-win situation for both the online poker operators as well as for the generation that has to prove their skills.