Poker fad? or Poker for life?

[PaulsonChips]

Many people tell me that poker is just a craze and will end soon, but Im thinking even though this is true of fads, poker has a gambling factor tied into it. So it makes it addicting! Not to mention chip collecting!

So what do you guys take on this poker fad?

[wEbMaStEr]

I think it will peak, and then probably fall back somewhat, as newbies lose their cash quickly it will seem like a bad idea for them to play any more.
But it will fall back to a level which is far above where it was 4 or 5 years ago as many new players manage their rolls and take poker as something they will play for the rest of their lives.

[Verebrant]

Being located in Denmark with no real 'tradition' for poker we've seen an extreme rise in popularity over the last year - and the last 5 to 6 months in particular since a national tv channel started showing Season 1 of the WPT.

The forums at that time showed considerable dedication to learning and improving the game, while now so many new players have come that start playing homegames or online without knowing that a pokerhand is made up of 5 cards.... And for live games the country is beeing flooded with chinese ABS chip sets selling at 100-150$ - and we're even seeing chinese clay sets! Well, actually they're ABS shells injected with clay...and it seems to be ordinary brown clay...

From havng 1 dedicated seller of poker equipment, all of a sudden websites are popping up like crazy - claiming to sell official casino chips w. metal added to obtain the official casino weight of 11.5g.....yeah right! So we're now where ebay has been for a while...and people buy them, some even beng willing to wait months for chip sets to arrive from China...

A lot of these new players will drop the game again, as it, apparently, is not the game that has caught their attention, but the fad...and the gambling factor instead of the skill factor. To illustrate this I followed a Danish online auction for the last week and a half. There were 10-15 sellers of mainly ABS chip sets and one seller of Small Stakes Hold'em - the chip sets were going like crazy....but not one bid on the book even though it was cheap by Danish standards (25$ and later slashed to about 15$)! So they want all the gadgets and show-off items, but not the theory...

All this being said I still think the game is going to come out of this with a larger number of players than were playing 6 months ago - but the craze right now is, in my opinion over the top.

Finally I have to say that I'm also a new player, who had an ABS set (which I just sold at a 50% profit)...but what has caught me is the homegame part of it - getting together with the guys playing for nickels and drinking a couple of beers...and that is something that will never go out of fashion

/michael

[PaulsonChips]

any links on these sets you are talking about?

[Verebrant]

The Chinese clays?

I think the catalog from this site covers them pretty well:

Chinese clays

some of the Danish vendors can be found here:

Pokershop
Casino chips

/michael

[yeltzen]

There will be like 4,000 people in this year's WSOP... the 2006 WSOP will be lucky to see 1,000 people. I think the more and more people watch and play NL Hold'em, the more they will realize that their hopes and dreams of NL Hold'em being a game primarily of skill are crashing down.

[Grumbler]

Having played poker (not holdem) for well over 40 years I have only seen the number of players increase. Obviously, in recent years the number has exploded due to TV. The most interesting part of this evolution, however, has been the social acceptance. In years past there was more of a "shady" atmosphere surrounding Poker which has all but disappiated with the vast majority of people.

I disagree that the WSOP in 2006 will be less than 1k since it was 8xx or so when Moneymaker won. Holdem has become fadish and the numbers will shrink as they do with most things but I'm not sure that it has run it's course yet.

[cowtown]

I agree it'll contract a bit as things wear on, but I doubt I'll stop playing, so Poker +1 here.

[circlencircle]

I wouldn't describe it as a fad, I think its more accurately described as trendy. In other words, its very popular right now but eventually the masses will grow tired of it and move on to something else. However, there will always be a percentage of the population that plays, as there always has been. I would agree with what some have said and say that generally poker will be left with a larger base than it had in the past.

[yeltzen]

Now I that I've thought about it... the popularity will likely never die. Once Moneymaker won, that was it. There is simply no way to erase the memory of a complete beginner trouncing hundreds of pros to win $2.5 million plus all of the appearance fee $$$ he'll get later. And hey, I'm one of these people, so I am by no means absolving myself from blame. However, in terms of the actual quality of games, it's the worst thing that could ever happen.

[BeerWench13]

I think the more and more people watch and play NL Hold'em, the more they will realize that their hopes and dreams of NL Hold'em being a game primarily of skill are crashing down.

Followed by....

However, in terms of the actual quality of games, it's the worst thing that could ever happen.

Now, which is it? Is poker just luck as you implied in your first post or is it a game of skill that will be damaged due to players going all-in on the first hand of a tourney with 10 3 offsuit and sucking out on good hands?
You make no sense.
Back to topic, I have to say that eventually all of the kids who are playing right now to be cool will either bottom out and realize that they can't afford to follow this "trend" or they'll find something new to play. Personally, I've been playing poker since I was a kid, but, until recently nickel/dime stakes. I've always loved the game and I love that TV has made it popular enough for me to be able to find a game whenever I want. However, I do think this is a passing thing for many. We've already had a few players who were at every local game drop out of our "group". They rarely play now. I think this will happen with many, but I don't think that poker will ever go back to where it was prior to Moneymaker.

[yeltzen]

After I reconsidered, I realized that the lack of skill involved in NL Hold'em is what draws them to it. If it took a lot of skill, the fad would have died out already since they would have realized that they can't beat pros.

[MeridianFC]

People have been playing poker (or games very like it) in this country for at least 150 years, I'm sure they'll be playing for at least 150 more. I've played since I was a teenager and have had a weekly game for nearly 8 years. We'll be here long after Chris Moneymaker has spent all his WSOP coin on sunglasses.

[tomb1]

I think it's a fad now, and will fade over time. But never back to where it was ten years ago. I expect it to gradually drop back to about 50%-60% of today's level, then continue for a long time.

1. For B&M casinos, the better places will continue to get business for a long time, though they may have a little more trouble filling up tables. But this will be good business for them.

2. For online play, I think poker will be like porn -- always a good business for the big operators even if the number of players goes up and down.

3. For retailers, though, I think it will be like golf equipment. Once many people get sets, the explosive growth will slow down. But there will continue to be replacement demand for better sets by people who can afford to buy. If the retailers/manufacturers can keep bringing out new cool sh*t, somebody will keep buying, but not at today''s level.

When today's 20-somethings are 35 years old with day jobs, wife and kids, mortgage, etc., they may reduce their poker playing habits. But most will have more money to indulge their desire for more and better stuff. And some will be addicted to gambling (like many of us) and will have discretionary income to wager.

[yaw]

I can't believe no one has discussed the popularity among tweenagers,. Junior high and younger kids are carrying around decks of cards instead of Gameboys. They spend their money on KEMS, not comics. They play for paperclips, rubberbands, if it's not for value, it's for volume, sheer bragging rights. Before school, lunch, after school. They don't stay up all night playing video games, they have NL tournies. Some parents love it, because it exercises the mind in so many ways, while others don't like the apparent addiction that could lead to heavy drinking or drug use. These kids are 8, 9 10 years away from being able to leagally play in a card room, and a fair amount of them are already counting down the days! Hell, I had my 21st birthday planned when I was 8, I knew I was spending it in a casino!

Then we have the college crowd. Just a couple weeks ago I talked to an old fraternity brother and he said his sister's sorority even has poker nights(no, not the the kind with dildos). Every night of the week there are multiple bars hosting TFPL.net games or equivalent, giving people a shot at making thw WSOP for NO initial investment. College kids have always and will always enjoy drinking, and as long as they can imbibe cheap beer, play poker and maybe, just maybe become a millionaire and finally drop out of college, poker will continue to grow.

I, personally can't believe how much it has exploded. I've been playing poker way before it was cool, and I dealt a lot of black jack when I was in HS. In '99, the only way I could get guys in my fraternity to play poker was if I ordered pizza first. In '01, I bought my Crystal Park's and got made fun of for spending .50/chip for something so worthless. Now instead of playing tripoli, pinnocle, pitch, or other card games at family gatherings, we have 4 tables of 8 or 9 players playing Hold'em. My 85 y/o grandma even knows the game!

With TV popularity and mass social acceptance, poker has been introduced to so many different demographics. My 6 y/o daughter has even asked me to teach her to play!

Sorry for the rant; I just don't see this craze going away for awhile and wanted to introduce some sides that many may not see/know about.