Poker's popularity

How do you think poker's popularity will go the next few years - increase, decrease or stay the same?
I think the current poker boom has peaked and we will see a very gradual decline over the next few years.
It will stay be far bigger than it was in 2003 though even in 10 years.

Poker is getting bigger and bigger in my country. The commercials of poker rooms can be seen in almoust all channels in Hungary. The game just boomed so it will have big future here. Moreover because of the global recession many ppl turned to poker.

Need more movies about poker... Here in Brazil it's getting better and better. Alexandre Gomes Andrea Akkari, more brazilian pros. next.. of course me.

Poker will begin to decline I believe in the next few years.
It has gotten so popular in recent years with the limits getting so high and every nit in the world knowing how to play holdem.
I think we will start to see more of the ol' classic games liuke 5 card draw,stud,and more mixed rotation games being played other than holdem.

Globally I think it'll keep growing. Definitely not at the 2003 Moneymaker effect rate, but it'll keep growing. There are just too many big markets around the world that haven't discovered the game yet.

Poker is only just starting to make its way onto television down here, for example, thanks largely to the APPT - the LAPT should probably have a similar effect in South America.

Governments are likely going to be the biggest stumbling block. If the Chinese government decides it doesn't like poker, for example, that will shut off a huge market. At the moment I think it's only really Macau that has legal casinos over there? And the Russian government has obviously just put a big downer on the growth of the game there too.

I postulate that with this economic hullabaloo peoples past times may involve that which may return them money. Poker is accessible and has a skill value.

If the rest of the world reopens to USA players, I think we will see the increase of online players here again.
Just my thoughts.

If they can legalize/tax and just generally open the game in the USA instead of limiting it I think poker will increase.

Its a bit slow in the Uk but there is many new starters after the lastest $100000 promo on pokerstars in every paper and a few ads on the British Tv

Hello,

I also think it will decline.

For the life of me, i don't understand the voters here in Florida. I think they should legalize gambling and let those buig corporations in to build their casinos. We need jobs and do not have a state income tax.

I think it will decline slightly and we may see a decrease in the number of fish out there as all the people who were drawn in from the boom who couldnt hack it fade away...I noticed a tremendous drop off in the number of games going when I was in Atlantic City earlier this month.....it was a Monday, but still when I was there on a Monday in August in 2006 it was a heck of a lot busier than it was this time around...I assume the economic situation has something to do with that as well though.

I agree with left 52 that we will see a shift away from hold-em.

However in the UK poker is still growing and I think it has a long way to go yet!

Left52, a shift from Holdem as the main game of interest I think may actually increase poker's draw as there will be more variety that will be available to new players.

Well ok, first off poker is still booming in europe and growing. So thats pretty nice...

In north america the boom is kind of over but the population is so vast you still get new fish playing the game everyday. I think we will get a new influx of fish once the UIGEA is cleared up.

I think if you still wanted to play mid/low stakes poker as a job for the next 10 years you would have no trouble doing so, as long as people are being born there will be fish.

Poker will get bigger and bigger, its just too good for tv.

I honestly don't see any of the other well known games overtsaking NL Hold em as the most popular game. They've all been around a long time and simply don't have the same appeal to the masses.
I think it would have to be a brand new game that would take over from Hold em as the biggest game.

Holdem will always be number 1, its the most excitign form of poker by far.

1) It's exciting seeing your your 2 cards to see if they are good
2) If's exciting watching the flop come out
3) It's simple enough for the masses to understand.
4) There is enough luck involved for average joe to have a win.