We are far from the days of when Chris Moneymaker won the WSOP Main Event in 2003.Poker had jumped to stardom and looked like it had only upwards to go through the stratosphere.Now we are in the present time of Poker and we are in a totally different world.I tend to look at the situation of Poker right now and see its been hit hard by scandal after scandal and so many other negative things ,i lost track.The question always seems to pop up ...Has Poker reached bottom yet? Will there be some other scandal start to brew up.Well the last three years tells me to not be surprised.I tend to wanna stay positive and wonder WHO IS THE NEXT Chris Moneymaker? Is he out there? Can he be the Poker Saviour?.Love to think so in a perfect world.The truth is ...it may be sometime before we see that happen,especially in todays climate and economy.Who knows if we are lucky.....maybe in the next two or three years we just may see another Poker boom and even bigger this time...haha..lol.Just like everyone didnt expect it back in the day when Chris Moneymaker won.Keeping my fingers crossed.See you at the tables JBCD71 AKA Johnny ACES Cabral.
If online poker is legalised in the US I think a boom could occur. Also, I heard some stories of people trying to allow advertising of online poker in the US when/if it gets legalised, this will bring a lot of new players to the game.
However, I very much doubt poker has reached the bottom. Scandals and scams will always be a part of the poker world because a lot of people will do anything for a quick payday.
Some could say it reached the bottom a long time ago though when there were cheating syndicates in Vegas, Devilfish had to take a gun to his regular games and other shady activity 
Originally posted by gadget51
It's reached my bottom, I'm playing like an arse lately.
+1
Originally posted by conall88
poker is booming in developing countries. This is the beginning.
I hope u r right
I'm in SEA and I can confirm that poker is booming here. 5 years ago, none know how to play poker. I mean NONE -- 0%.
Now, about 40% of my friend know how to play it. Thanks to facebook
By the way, they do not take it seriously. They perceived poker as one of facebook's game. They do not know PS, FTP, William Hills, etc.
Originally posted by conall88
india and SEA is booming pokerwise. google it and you will see.
India and other asian countries will bring mostly nits and TAGs, the game will change for the worse.
just because someone is a TAG , doesn't mean they are good.
Its easy to profit from a bad TAG. your revenue just comes from preflop $ rather than postflop $.
Originally posted by Tosh5457
Originally posted by conall88
india and SEA is booming pokerwise. google it and you will see.India and other asian countries will bring mostly nits and TAGs, the game will change for the worse.
I dont think so.
Maybe some of us will be more reluctant to go up through limit because lower limit is suitable for our hourly income (we have lower standard living/income compared to european), but we will be more willing to gamble. Chinese etnic know to be a gambler. Gamble is religion for us
JFY, there are a quite high % of my friend betting on football on sportbetting site regularly because gamble is prohibited here (offline. the gov dont care about online yet). I try to convince them but they dont interested to poker because "it simply not for me because I need to think to play this game. its not gambing game"
Tell them they DON'T need to think in poker and thinking is for suckers! Tell them they can go all in every hand if they want and that it is fun.
just because someone is a TAG , doesn't mean they are good.
if they can learn to playe preflop, then why not they can learn to play postflop as well?
One thing I heard is similar with indian programmers - there are lots of them, who do the jobs cheaper. So you can think - you must be a better programeer in if you live in expensive country so you can charge customers more. I am talking about freelancers (jobs at offices are well payed in rich countries). But my friend says that many people don't trust indians, they can do the task cheaply, but its bad quality mostly.
So then there is a hope, that they also might play bad quality poker. Of course programming is not the same as poker, but has simalirities - in programming you have to think logically, and in poker you have to do that as well.
I haven't worked with indians myself, so I cannot say its 100% true, but I say what my friend, who is programer, says.
Originally posted by conall88
poker is booming in developing countries. This is the beginning.
Indeed.
And just wait untul people there get pc-s.
Poker isnt near bottom.
Originally posted by TarmoK
Originally posted by conall88
poker is booming in developing countries. This is the beginning.Indeed.
And just wait untul people there get pc-s.
Poker isnt near bottom.
This is misunderstanding.
-The number of pc with internet access in (for example) India > in Finland
-The number of person with income/year $50k or more in India > in Finland
-The number of person playing poker online in India << in Finland
So India could be a potential market for poker in future. The same case for China and SEA
Originally posted by patszerdonk
Originally posted by TarmoK
Originally posted by conall88
poker is booming in developing countries. This is the beginning.Indeed.
And just wait untul people there get pc-s.
Poker isnt near bottom.This is misunderstanding.
-The number of pc with internet access in (for example) India > in Finland
-The number of person with income/year $50k or more in India > in Finland
-The number of person playing poker online in India << in FinlandSo India could be a potential market for poker in future. The same case for China and SEA
the % population that has an internet connection in india is MINISCULE.
the % population of india that owns their own PC is smaller still!
Originally posted by conall88
poker is booming in developing countries. This is the beginning.
very true...poker is booming in India...more and more players are beginning to play...
Yay, more micro grinders trying to eek a living off poker, just what we need. Stars should set minimum limit on cashgames at 25nl and maximum tables at 6, that would be good for poker.