Online Poker Gains Popularity in Australia

Worldwide, online poker is a multibillion-dollar industry and it continues to grow. The three factors behind its increased profile are television coverage of big tournaments, such as the World Series of Poker, the convenience of playing online and the enjoyment and challenge of the game itself.

It's illegal to play poker and other games of chance online for money in Australia, but it's ridiculously easy to gain access and you can play without spending a cent. The sites have plenty of incentives for this, with deposit bonuses and big-prize matches, such as a $1 million prize-pool game or chance to win spots in the World Series of Poker.

Internet poker is played against real people and you can bluff, fold or ride out a royal flush just as in live games. The differences are anonymity, 24-hour access and guaranteed fast, accurate play. You lose some of the atmosphere, interaction and tactics of trying to read your opponent's poker face.

"Poker is a game that has everything that most people like: a skill factor, luck, and risk versus reward," says consultant and World Series of Poker host Mike Sexton, who recently challenged Paris Hilton to an online poker match after she allegedly lost her $150,000 car at a live game. The prize was a new Bentley.

Australians, it said, would bet on the proverbial two flies crawling up a wall. That adage is backed by statistics: we have the highest per-capita spend on gambling worldwide. And poker is in many ways the ultimate gamer's game. It's easy to master the basic, but takes time and practices to become a pro; in the interim there are many rewards to keep you engaged.

August 13, 2006
Brian Nelson