The Phenomenom Rages On

Who would have thought that an obscure game that was played in dark alley hideaways in the dust bowl of Texas would have exploded into one of the most popular spectator "sports" in the world. Texas Hold'em has captured the imagination of the masses and made every casual poker player into a virtual expert at the game. How did this happen, how did our hero become part of the vocabulary of the everyday watcher of ESPN? How did Doyle Brunson become a legend in his own time and why is it that seemingly every rockstar, movie star and athlete aspires to be the next Phil Ivey? The answer is simple-the Hole Cam.

The hole cam has made it possible for everyone watching at home get a glimpse into strategy in game play and theory that was once unheard of. This definitely puts the top players into a bit of a quandary, they don't want to reveal too much of their style, because now they can be scouted just like the Jets in week 3 against the Colts, but without the cam-the monies available for them to accumulate would be decreased 50 fold. So how do players avoid being victims of their own fame? That's an easy question, they become public figures, they become friendly to the masses, they become less threatening in the eyes of those that they may see sitting across from them at the Main Event of the World Series of Poker. Then the situation is wow, that is Daniel Negreanu-I see him on TV all the time, he's a real nice guy, instead of how can I take down the best poker player in the world? Even with the hole cam and the influx of players in the game because of it, the best players in the world are still the best players in the world. Granted, we are seeing young guns like David Williams storm the scene, but those are few and far between. Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Allen Cunningham, Phil Hellmuth, Howard Lederer, Erik Seidel and the likes are still the dominating faces of the game and will be for some time to come.

So what's the best path for the amateur looking to become Erick Lindgren? I wish I knew, I wouldn't be typing this drivel right now. My advice would be to watch, read and learn, but do not think it can be done overnight-just ask Rob Mariano aka Boston Rob (of Survivor and Amazing Race fame) he tried to take the lessons of our hero and make it in Vegas, but from what has been shared thus far, is much more interested in becoming a quick pro, not a solid pro.
I will take the path that comes in front of me, I have no expectations, but you will all be privy to the journey.

As for the phenomenon, it does rage on, how do I know that the train will not screech to a halt anytime soon? Take a minute and do a search on your TIVO or digital cable box in your living room and do a keyword search for poker, I did it and had over 600 programs pop up for the next 14 days-that train is not stopping, and I believe that we have not peaked yet. So if you're trying to make it, keep your head up and look out for those check raises.