For most of the history in poker we never had any type of record to know about, so we don’t know how or why poker became so popular. It became popular because of a game that was perfect for the times when everybody could afford to participate in the game. In those days the newspapers were there to get the news and everybody could get the weekly Rhythm newspaper to put the local poker clubs on the map.
Back then everybody knew about the game Texas Hold Em and the allure of big money, but poker didn’t become more popular until the start of the satellite poker tournaments in the 2000s. Watching Chris Moneymaker, a poker star from the 2003 WSOP Main Event, win the $2.5 million first prize was enough to lure more people into the poker room. This created an equal opportunity to play for a big prize, but also to get a seat at the $10.5 million Final table.
As more and more people started to realize that not only was Chris Moneymaker a typical young guy, but he was an underdog as well. This new poker player was able to take the online poker player still in the stone age to the final table. There is no doubt in my mind that the online poker boom has heavily contributed to the game of poker becoming more and more popular in general.
If you people are tired of hearing about the latest poker stars, read some of the poker tournaments coverage from popular new websites such as Aria Poker, FullTilt Poker or PokerStars. These websites provide an excellent amount of tournament and sit and go coverage, which are all at once, easy to follow and often featuring some of the latest updates regarding poker, the stars and the action.
Another extremely popular poker star is Daniel Negreanu, who can be found playing online at PokerStars. If you can’t beat Daniel Negreanu, then there is no hope left for you. We’re talking about a player who has won three WSOP bracelets in the last 7 years. He’s not always playing in the most popular events, but when he has a big event lined up, he’s the king of the event.
The launch of PokerStars Enter the Table program brought about a lot of questions from the poker community. Was PokerStars cheating? Did they have a secret plan to take the $30 Million National Heads-Up Poker Championship from Greg Raymer? How could the company allow another company to overtake their market share?
The truth of the matter is that the company used a lot of creative ads and PRspin tactics to become a force in the online poker industry. They did not want people to know too much about them. Many poker players, including myself, figured out that the company was actually an affiliate of PokerStars. Therefore, we had to research to see if this was true. Once we realized that the original claims that the company was stealing market from PokerStars were not true, we started looking at ways to actually verify if this was true or not. That is why we wrote this article. We wanted people to make the right decision to use or not use PokerStars services. Unfortunately, many people made the wrong decision based on the initial information available.
DewabetStars has their own policy regarding the use of software programs which they described as:
“Use of software systems or products, or combinations of both, is allowed under certain conditions outlined in the Terms and Conditions of use of the PokerStars service. However, we expect theggediting software to be respectful of competing users and should be equipped to accurately reflect the PokerStars service.”
In other words, the PokerStars rules seem to state that for people to utilize the paid services, they have to do not compete with the company. In fact, on the official PokerStars FAQ page, they state:
“We know that you are frustrated with the state of affairs in the industry, and we are trying to help you make the best possible decision about using our services. We want you to have fun playing online poker… but we also want you to have fun and secure websites where you can flourish your poker skills.”
If you look at the rest of the Q&A on that page, it’s quite clear that the company is again trying to be sensitive to the issues that some players have with their paid services. So they have listed some concerns about the authenticity of PokerStars’ software for example:
“Our poker software is independent developed and not connected to, nor connected to, any poker room of this world.”
“Our poker software is not intended to be used in conjunction with other software.”
“We use a SSL encryption to guarantee server safety.”
“We have a privacy policy in place that protects sensitive information like banking details, preferences, and personal information.”
“We have a strict policy regarding underage gambling and any possible underage gambling from non-ageage identities.”