Most of today’s online gambling market has been established off the back of poker, with online poker being one of the largest sectors of the entire online gambling industry. However, the huge number of betting sites which have sprung up offering internet poker were only founded after a fortunate succession of events.
As internet technology gradually moved from slow and expensive 56k modem access to super fast broadband connections, online poker software was beginning to allow players from all over the world play together. Two important events, though, were needed to drive players towards these fledgling online poker websites.
The first of these events was the 1998 release of the popular poker movie ‘Rounders’, named after the slang term for somebody who makes a living playing cards. This film, which starred Hollywood heavyweights such as Matt Damon and Edward Norton, romanticised poker for many people as it put a huge emphasis on the skill aspect of the game, especially bluffing.
The biggest event that caused a surge in popularity in online gambling and online poker, though, is the ‘Moneymaker Effect’. The term was coined in 2003 after poker player Chris Moneymaker achieved a rags to riches story that few felt possible by winning a $40 qualifier tournament for the World Series of Poker Main Event on an online betting site. After winning his entry to the $10,000 buy in tournament for just $40, Moneymaker went on to beat out a field of professional players to win the $2.5 million top prize.