The Online Poker Gold Rush

When Chris Moneymaker paid $40 to Pokerstars.com to join an online tournament he couldn't have realized the cascading events that were to happen next. His online tournament led him to a spot at the World Series of Poker held

annually in Las Vegas, where he eventually walked away with $2.5 million dollars. After millions of viewers witnessed or read of Moneymakers win, the poker rush began. It was as if his win shouted to the rest of the country "There's gold in them thar hills!"

Moneymaker's instant riches and fame was not an isolated incident. The ignition of the poker rush raised the stakes even higher with more people eager to ante up for a chance to strike gold at the popular game. Three years later more poker stars have emerged to "celeb" status a long stretch from where they came from before they won their millions. Everyday people who happen to read and watch a lot about poker have turned their dreams into reality as they walk away with pots of money big enough to quit their jobs and enjoy the lifestyles of the rich and famous. They are dubbed poker names such as Isabelle "no mercy" Mercier as if they regular contenders on WWF.

The Main Event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) spotlights the popular No Limit Texas Hold 'Em version of poker. This year there are a record number of people coughing up the $10,000 entry fee for the "main event." Spokespersons for the event say that between 5,000 and 6,000 people are expected to show up. Many of these poker players are amateurs. Despite the amateur status these people might have done their homework whether it be reading one of the thousands of new poker tips and strategy books or simply watching poker TV shows religiously. Despite their enthusiasm the thousands of amateurs that show up to the WSOP are always in for a big shock with the reality of how long these tournaments last and the skill levels of the big time players who are focused on one thing, the winning bracelet.

The bracelet is a golden bracelet that contains some diamonds and costs approximately $3,000 but it signifies a whole lot more. All the greats in poker have bracelets and most of the top players would give up the cash winnings in order to win one. The bracelet lets everybody know that you are the undisputed champ. The bracelet is a key into the poker elite flaunting status as well as accomplishment.

Unlike the pros, most amateurs are just happy to be included at the WSOP rubbing elbows with some of their favorite poker celebrities. Many of the amateurs express surprise at how long the tournaments actually take requiring them to play rounds into the wee hours of the morning. Almost all of the people that play in this important tournament are elated to be in the midst of their new found passion. The new famed poker celebrities and poker player fiends are not the only one enjoying this new craze.

Traditional and Online Casinos alike are enjoying the poker rush that has hypnotized the nation. Traditional casinos that at one time considered eliminating the poker rooms to make room for more slot machines now find they never have enough seats to fill the demand of the poker players. Likewise, online casinos are flooded with players 24 hours a day seven days a week.