Texas Hold em: Will it be overtaken by Omaha?
Posted April 21, 2009 – 6:43 am in: Gambling News, PokerContent Provided by PokerSharks Texas Holdem Section:
Nowadays, everyone plays Texas Holdem. The 5-card draw, which used to be the dominating variation of poker, slowly disappeared from the radar. Both of those games rely on a combination of skill and luck, but draw game are considered to be more “luck-based”, while Holdem is considered to be a game more based on intelligence.
The dark card rooms you gawk at in old westerns, where a fog of smoke overshadows the table, have now gone underground. They are few in number, and are no longer considered as legit as they used to be. It’s a new era of fancy casinos and online poker rooms.
The poker-playing audience is now remarkably wider than what it used to be. From a game that was solely played by (macho) men, it is now one of the world’s most common games, among women and teenagers as well. The general public opinion still abstains from gambling, but Texas Holdem is accounted for as a non-harmful card game, rather than anything else.
In today’s materialistic world, I was unsurprised when I encountered a family that supports their children’s aspiration of becoming a poker champ. Since it is a well known fact that you can generate a lot of money from poker, if you are successful, this area of profession is now licit by all means. The corrupt image that the game of poker used to carry has now faded away.
The ongoing process of improvement of the image of poker has been initiated by the people. The nation-wide broadcast of major poker events is a direct outcome of the large-scale increase in the game’s popularity. For most part, the increased popularity is due to online poker.
One of the most substantial upgrades in the game’s representation occurred in the year of 2003, when Chris Moneymaker, a 28 year old accountant from Atlanta, won a satellite tournament in PokerStars. The prize was a reserved seat at the WSOP main event (Texas Holdem No Limit event) of that year. The anonymous rookie won that event. He earned 2.5 million US dollars and a worldwide recognition. His initial deposit in PokerStars was a mere $38.
The Cinderella story struck waves that went way beyond the poker community, straight into the heart of the public. People have come to realize that Texas Holdem’s new world order consists of young and ambitious participants. The game is based upon skill that only few posses, but that many are trying to achieve. Accountants, lawyers and doctors started playing it and some replaced their day-jobs with their newfound hobby that has become a profession.
Today, only 6 years afterwards, Texas Holdem is the world’s new king of card games. Many assume that Omaha Holdem, the younger brother of the Holdem family will come to replace it, but only time will tell.