Coronavirus-induced lockdowns are causing more non-poker players to take an interest in the game according to recent statistics. Is this really a surprise?

“How to Play Poker” Google Searches Spike 200 Percent During Coronavirus Lockdown

I blame the Stay at Home Series.

i have been playing more and more since the covid19

That is not a surprise since people need to spend there time somewhere, and while many "fun" activities are not available during the lockdown, poker and other gaming forms are surely an attractive option.

I have seen more visitors on my poker blog than before so at least happy for that

People are bored at home - Poker is a great way to pass the time and keep up your mental agility.

Fish getting ready for market. It increases variance a bit but still.

UK researchers have done a great job collecting statistics. Perhaps the newcomers started looking for training materials after some failures, as is usually the case. And experienced poker players have benefited. People have a lot of time to study various fields of activity.

Obvious and predictable statistics during the period of mass restrictions.

the closure makes looking for other options easier and with this pandemic poker is the escape of many, that's why the poker boom is due online

...and playing poker online is more similar to live poker than in other activities like bowling or darts. Easy access, normal hardware.

Coronavirus is an unexpected and quite sharp increase in deposits, the number of players and the income of poker rooms. This is a breath of air for online poker.

I've noticed the micro stakes in stars have been getting harder the last few weeks. There appear to be more sharks. I think some stronger players are playing these while in tourneys. I've moved away from them for the time being. I used to find they were easy to beat but not recently. People are complaining a lot about the beats but I think there's a better standard of players or players that don't really care much playing.

It's great!

>+fishs = +$moneyyy$

Yup they have been turning up at my tables, cracking my AA with their K4s.

I hope such statistics will not encourage fans of conspiracy theory to think that this virus was not profitable for pokerrooms and online casinos..?

A large number of new players is always great for those who play regularly.

I think it's normal and that it was predictable. people try to find new activities to pass the time. I hope that many members have managed to take advantage of all these new fish. it's always in times of crisis or when chaos reigns that opportunities are created.

It became so much easier to find a table as lockdown progressed. And judging by my winnings, clearly a lot of novices playing. However, my win rate has now decreased and I wonder if the newcomers, with so much time on their hands, have now actually got rather good at the game. Or maybe I’m going backwards!

I myself made my first deposit during the lockdown, though only recently. I was mainly playing live home games ( cant go to the casino) and with this lockdown, online poker is a way to make money and build my bankroll. I noticed on pokerstars there are so many weak players, they limp often and are calling stations and some of em are very loose and think they can bluff every pot. I don't know what situation was with type of players there at Stars before lockdown but I've read somewhere that there is some kind of online poker boom right now.

I imagine a lot of good players are making bank with this wave of new players.

This doesn't surprise me at all. It is nice to see a game like this get more recognition during troublesome times. Possible second poker boom? WSOP and GG poker both expect insane numbers for the WSOP online series being held, so now is a good time for newer players to get into the environment!