Poker has been around for centuries and is still just as popular now as it was back then. It dates back to 1829 when it was called Poques – so even the name hasn’t changed too much.
Even though the game itself hasn’t changed much, the way we play it definitely has. Ever since the internet has become part of our daily lives, people have been using a UK poker site to play their favourite game of poker.
Smart phones have changed the landscape of poker playing even further. Now, we can take a game of poker out and about with us through a mobile gaming app. This has made poker far more accessible and enjoyable for people to play.
But what about poker events? There have always been poker championships, but they have typically been for those who are huge poker enthusiasts. But now the landscape is changing. These events are becoming more popular and with higher demand, these championships have had to change their tactic.
What do we mean by a televised poker event?
The main way they’ve done this is through televising these events. There are a multitude of sports championships that are televised, so why not televise poker events too?
The main poker events are the World Series of Poker championships. These take place all across the globe and there are now versions in Africa and Asia Pacific in their own right. We also then have the International Circuit which includes Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean as well as including Asia Pacific and Africa as well.
Ever since the popularity of online poker has skyrocketed, there has also been a need for a World Series of Poker championship for online poker. This has meant that it’s been easier for players around the world to get involved without the need for travel.
As more of our world turns to online, we can expect to see more and more championships move onto the online world. The number of people participating in these championships increases every year so we can expect to see this trend continue as well.
The main event in these championships is always the $10,000 buy in, no limit Texas Hold’em game. This game obviously requires a huge amount of cash to play so this usually limits the participants to those who are at the top of their game.
This game is considered the Main Event and the winner is given the unofficial title of World Champion. However, this is debated by those in the poker community. A lot of people think that the no limit version of the Texas Hold’em game should be the decider as there is more at stake.
The big stars of championship poker
Putting these championships out there for anyone to see has made some big stars out of the poker players that are involved. One of the biggest poker stars out there is Daniel Negreanu. He rose to fame in the mid-2000s and has been a staple in poker tournaments and championships ever since.
He was the face of PokerStars for over a decade and was an ambassador for the company between the years of 2007-2019. He still plays professionally so don’t be surprised if you see him at another event.
Phil Ivey is of a similar ilk to Negreanu, rising to fame at around the same time. Although he lives his life very differently. Despite being one of the most famous poker players, he lives pretty much off the grid and not a lot is known about him.
Jennifer Harman is another poker player you might recognise. She has appeared on poker shows such as Poker After Dark and High Stakes Poker as well as winning big money on lots of games.
Why is televised poker so popular?
You can probably put a lot of the interest in televised poker down to the poker stars that have come from it. People get very personally invested in competitions of any kind if they feel some kind of affiliation with the competitors involved.
So, in having poker televised, the competitors themselves have become the stars of the show. This in turn has led to greater interest from those watching and even bigger stardom. With fame comes pressure to keep this up, but we’re sure that these stars won’t crack under the pressure. Poker has already given them the skills to keep a cool head which is a great skill to utilise in the outside world.
Another reason that televised poker is so popular is that it opens up the game to a whole new audience. There are those who either don’t want to play poker or simply don’t know how and are too intimidated to find out. Those are the people who can watch televised poker in order to get involved.
When are you next tuning in to see a televised poker championship?
