Star Struck Poker

"When I grow up I want to be just like Daniel Negreanu!" Exclaims a little boy. You think hard, did he mean to say Dan Akroyd? You walk away puzzled. In fact the boy meant exactly who he said; Daniel Negreanu is one of poker's

biggest celebrities.

Famous "players" have always existed. Soccer, Basketball, Baseball Players but most of these famous players are skilled in a physical game. Becoming a celebrity by winning poker games might seem a little far fetched but with the advent of televised poker tournaments regular people who happen to be poker players are as famous as the all stars of "Survivor."

Poker has been around for a long time. In fact the game can be dated back to the 1700s; the American version of poker is thought to have been perfected by the civil war troops who entertained themselves with the game while they waited for battle.

Since that time poker games and poker rooms have been shadowed by the stereotypes of rough looking men that dangle cigarettes from their mouth in a smoky back room or saloon. Violence, alcohol and deception almost seemed synonymous with the game. But no longer do we have these thoughts technology has changed our minds.

Not long ago ESPN decided to air a televised poker tournament with little success. When the network employed a hidden cam that allowed the viewers to see the player's cards and in essence play along, the ratings began to pick up. Before too long the poker games being played on ESPN began to ravish the ratings. The result was the network's creation of the "Main Event" the World Series of Poker Tournament making the show one of the biggest hits on the network. It wasn't too long before the other networks jumped on the poker bandwagon. BRAVO has found a hit in the poker room with their television program "Celebrity Poker" featuring celebrities who duke it out and cash in at the poker table hoping to win money for their favorite charities.

Perhaps it is not all that surprising that established celebrities draw in ratings but what is surprising is the poker shows that create celebrities. Many of the poker players on these shows are what you would call average. Yet the consistent winners are beginning to draw in as much or more ratings than the celebrities. These "average" poker players are well beyond average in their skill at the game and are becoming stars in their own right.

Similar to all other professional game (basketball, football, soccer etc.) stars, poker stars even feature in their own video games. Some of the more notable poker stars have been dubbed "the poker pack." People tune into chat rooms and magazines to see what their favorite poker players have been up to. Usually there are stories of the pack running around, spending money, making bets, attending tournaments and signing autographs. Behavior that is reminiscent of the "rat pack" of the eighties.

Reality shows and movies alike have also had a hand in stirring up buzz about the game of poker. The movie "Rounders" starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton spotlighted the Texas Hold 'Em version of poker. Today Texas Hold 'Em is by far the most popular version of the game to play. Other TV shows such as the reality show "The Casino," "Winning Hand, "Dusk til Dawn" and NBC's drama "Las Vegas" has helped to heighten the stardom of casinos and casino games.

New found fame and stardom is not limited to traditional poker players. The online casino poker players and actual virtual casinos themselves are catching a lot of press and fame for themselves. Many cite Chris Moneymaker as the catalyst for igniting the online casino craze. The story goes that Chris an everyday accountant joined an online poker tournament for $40. As the tournament progressed he won more and more money until he won the final round for a grand total of $2.5 million dollars, not a bad investment! Chris's win ignited an online casino craze that has only increased from that time.

The other big celebrity in the online casino world is the notorious GoldenPalace.com. This online casino is well known for their media stunts such as buying the famed "Virgin Mary "grilled cheese sandwich off of e-bay for $28,000. A couple of months later The GoldenPalace.com made headlines again when it paid $15,100 to a mother to name her newborn GoldenPalace.com.

According to Casino Industry estimates approximately 50-60 million Americans visit a casino (online or traditional) at least once a month. No longer does the shady seedy poker player character exist. Today, poker is played by all types whether they work next to you in your office or work out at your gym. Playing poker is making its way to become as common practice as going to soccer practice.