Need your input: Is Online Poker still a thing?

[Webzcas]

Now I have been around since the infancy of online casinos and online gambling, having started in this industry working for Ladbrokes in Gibraltar back in October 2000, the same day that Ladbrokes launched their online casino.

I was there at Ladbrokes when we launched our online poker room. Prior to joining the Microgaming Poker Network, which subsequently became Prima Poker, the player liquidity at Ladbrokes was such, that they operated on their sole network.

Back then circa 2002, online poker was MASSIVE. It was pre the UIGEA by four years and it really was like the .com boom of online gaming. We used to run the Pokermillion comp, as such Barry Hearn was one such person that would visit our offices. I even showed round the CEO of Hilton PLC the comms room we had in the Europort Building in Gibraltar where our offices were.

Indeed David Michels ( who is a now a Sir! ) was over purely to see the Ladbrokes Poker infrastructure setup we had in Gibraltar.

Anyhow, I digress somewhat and enough of my own personal backstory where online poker is concerned. What I am genuinely interested in, is with all that has happened over the past couple of decades, what with the UIGEA and regulation and over regulation. Has online poker recovered? Is it still a thing? Do any of you still play poker online?

 

[johnnymcc1966]

It seems all the big bookmakers still have Poker on their sites. I've never been interested in online poker myself given how easy it is for professional poker players to hoover up the balances of novices who think its easy money.

 

[Webzcas]

professional poker players to hoover up the balances of novices who think its easy money.

Isn't that the truth. I loved playing it back in the day, but I was very fish like when it came to playing!

 

[Oscar Arnhem]

I started early 2000 with poker (stars/everest) and stoped after stars was banned in the Netherlands.

 

[nisosbar]

Black Friday really destroyed online poker as it existed in the glory days. It hasn't been a Thing since then, though it still has a place in the online gaming ecosystem. But without a legit way to hook up US players with a Pokerstars or Full Tilt Poker serving a global market, it will never be the same. And I do miss that Sunday $1M guaranteed.

What didn't occur to most players was how much collusion was going on. Not to mention outright cheating. So many examples - god-mode players on Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. Pokerstars collusion rings.

I started like a lot of people on Party Poker. Then Pacific Poker and Doyle's Room.

I dabble but the good games are few and far between. So I play very infrequently now.

 

[Webzcas]

Back in the day we used to have regular Piggs Peak Poker sponsored freeroll tournaments here on Casinomeister.

Then when 32Red Poker started out, they would also sponsor freerolls, with a bounty put on Pat Harrison or Ed Ware's head, with the player knocking them out getting an additional prize