An article by Rob Kaiser of the Chicago Tribune achieved wide international
mileage this week on the back of the online poker phenomenon.
Kaiser gave examples of many American above-average poker players
who have been cleaning up with significant income from their online
poker activities - frequently exploiting less accomplished newbies
to the game.
It's a reminder that newbie players need to have their wits about
them and polish their skills on free play before venturing into the
lion's den and facing opponents who could well be very experienced
pros.
The article describes these new generation poker players who "...feast
on the growing number of novices taking up poker after watching televised
contests.
"While few players go to the extreme of quitting their jobs,
many spend their evenings stalking sites such as Party Poker.com and
PokerStars.com, pocketing an extra $20,000 or $30,000 annually on
top of their regular salaries."
And as more novices keep appearing, opportunity grows for experienced
players.
"You'll see people make terrible plays routinely,"
says one experienced player. "For the most part these people
call too much and play too aggressively."
Another noted that the anonymity of Internet games often makes new
players more aggressive. In land casinos, he says, "You
don't want to look too stupid so people play more conservatively."
Kaiser reports that money wagered on poker sites will clear $1 billion
this year, based on PokerPulse's figures, which likely undercount
total betting because they do not include popular online poker tournaments
that charge entry fees.
Comparing the poker predators to day traders, he says that rather
than making rapid-fire stock trades online, these gamblers seek profits
by leveraging small advantages with their poker experience, discipline
and statistical savvy.
Internet poker offers experienced players some advantages, particularly
the ability to play at multiple tables at the same time. Online games
generally go faster than casino games, and by playing three or four
tables simultaneously, expert players can easily participate in more
than 200 hands an hour.
Nobody tracks how many people play poker for a living, but the number
appears to be growing. And this new breed will often take advantage
of the global reach of the Internet despite the disadvantages this
holds in terms of international time zones.
"Certainly at this point there are thousands,"
said Greg Raymer, who left his job as a patent attorney at Pfizer
Inc. after winning $5 million this year at poker's biggest event,
the World Series
of Poker.