Joined: Mar '09
Location: Portugal
Age: 57 (M)
Posts: 1703
He came out with a video interview in which he lamented that the game of poker is dying and that professional players weren't doing enough for the game as ambassadors. I don´t think is dying but the restritions that governaments are putting out can harm the online game What do you think?
Joined: Aug '09
Location: Chile
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 1353
I saw the video and I think he made some good points in the interview.
He more than talking about poker restrictions in different countries said that there are to many players (really good) that only play to make money, but they seem to did no enjoy the game.
Joined: Apr '11
Location: Romania
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 6669
The game will continue but the truth is that the game is changing and to be honest not in a good way...
To be more specific i think more and more players see the game purely as a luck game and play bingo style a game that can be so nice played by the rules.
Joined: May '13
Location: Mauritius
Age: 32 (M)
Posts: 2688
Yeah poker is becoming less a gold mine now. It has been milked up by lots of people. In earlier years it was easy to make money off players as there was not much poker strategies around and playing tight was looked as being a wrong play. And calling station was omnipresent. Also poker affiliates etc.
Poker is becoming more competitive and only the best will survive!
Joined: Sep '13
Location: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 1564
it might be more difficult to make money nowadays (i also wish i started playing online long time ago :/) but there will always be new people, bingo players, etc starting out and many recreational players who just want to have some fun and dont give a %$#(( about br management, stakes or whatnot.
so yes its definitely getting more competitive but at the same time its getting widely accepted around the world (bar the US ofc ) and we have many more new people playing poker day by day, so no i dont believe its gonna 'die' any time soon.
Joined: Jun '12
Location: Greece
Age: 43 (M)
Posts: 488
Can't understand what WSOP Winner Joe Hachem meant with that statement because obviously he sees the game from an other perspective than we do. Could not find the video online to get a better picture. But as far as I know when I signed up on POKERSTARS the players a normal day, I can remember ,was about 80.000.Now I can see around 120.000 for start and maximum can reach as high as 200.000 and plus. I guess he probably believes that poker don't attracts personalities who likes the game but guys who aim to profit no matter what.
I dont think it was really a goldmine anyway. There was definitely a 'goldrush', I think a couple of pros should be properly credited in making this game this popular but It was far from being on that level of popularity where we should lament on its own demise. Its a recreational hobby for me, before I started doing poker i have other recreational hobbies too as will be after I gave up on this game. Every goverment has its own restrictions on this game its not just a USA thing, but online gambling is a thing now that is probably never go away, so I agree the politicians who try to put leash on other peoples fun is killing this game, not the abscence of 'goodwill ambassadors'...
Joined: Mar '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 1277
I think he's right. Poker's boom years have been and gone online and off, however the mega money live tournaments seem to be getting bigger, so from one perspective it's growing.
Everyone knows how to play now, even at micro limits, they know what plays rarely knew about ten years ago. I think the pros are feeling the pinch because everyone knows how to play solid ass poker and no doubt they dont like being squeezed and pushed hard for their dough.
Having said that there's always some crazy rich idiots willing to donate money, it's simply much more difficult to find them, there are fewer of them, the talent in poker has been concentrated to the point where it's no wonder players like Gus are getting crushed themselves.
Technology has also had a HUGE influence online and even off, as players apply the math there too. People study hard, it's a nerdy game now and if you put the work in you can get great. The only trouble is there's a thousand others doing the same thing.
Joined: Mar '09
Location: Greece
Age: 47 (F)
Posts: 14136
It is certainly not blooming these days. And one fo the major reasons of course are all those stupid regulations from country to country. And it is going to be even worst. So it is at a declining point at the moment and will keep doing so in the future.
Joined: Mar '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 7371
I think that to say it is dying is a bit of an over exaggeration but i agree that it seems to have wained a little bit since the golden days of post Moneymaker. You can gauge this by how much the first prize in the main event has fallen since these days
Joined: Nov '09
Location: Poland
Age: 34 (M)
Posts: 50
I think the restrictions are making poker players treated as gamblers; which is not fair treatment.
Poker is still devoloping, but the past rush of growing popularity make results - many greedy players, not even little poker-educated, bad-behaviour, playing only for money etc.
But IMO it's nothing fatal... we are not hearing about cheating or making a rigged practise during live tournaments; no one is complaining about honesty of poker (live). Yes it becomes a huge business with worldwide known sports stars, and other famous people who makes a fortune for promoting poker.
But You can see similarity of this situation in Mixed Martial arts; the same:
First only underground mainly sport, not showed in any TV, with lack of popularity; and then BOOM!; it become best-selling fighting sport in the world; and many people started to try fighting, even former strongaman's or football players; bodybuilders or as wide celebrities.
SO I dont see much negative sides of today poker; it is quite natural that some people doing it for fun and pleasure mainly, and they are enjoying every single hand played, focus on competing with other players as a sporting matter, money is only additional part.
And there is second group of people, which are greatly motivated to make money, no matter what conditions; they don't love poker as a "game" ; only treat this as a tool to make profit; and besides fame.
) and we have many more new people playing 
