Do you think poker will continue to grow or has it reached its peak?

[LUKADONCICMVP]

poker stopped growing a long time ago, i don´t know how this poker rooms still running tbh

 

[Propane Goat]

I think live poker will remain generally stagnant, no great gains or losses in the number of players. However, online poker will decline IMO due to increasing restrictions and geofencing, and poker rooms withdrawing from certain countries altogether. I don't think we will ever see another boom similar to what happened during the Moneymaker days.

 

[Iryna Stryzheuskaya]

I think people will always play poker. But for now, poker is not the best time. But he is alive!

 

[10gerka]

Poker will continue to grow over the years, and increasingly so. More and more players are entering the world of online gaming, and it's more fun. The competition is getting tougher, but there are also more recreational players.

 

[dianasamu355]

I've seen a lot of people commenting that poker is growing again, with more people playing online, new streamers emerging, and even more popular live events.

But I also see those who say that the “poker boom” has passed, and that today it is more difficult to win because of the level of the players.

What do you think: does poker still have room to grow more or are we already at a point of stability? And what could make the game explode again?

Those who play will continue to play and poker is a nice, risky game.

 

[23maxim88]

Poker's not booming like the old days, but it’s definitely alive and steady. The games are tougher, yeah, but there's still new players coming in from streams and live events. For another real boom, it’d take something big — like a celeb deep run or a fresh twist that pulls in the casual crowd again.

 

[pentazepam]

 

[chicbulls2]

A lot new platforms now, so it will only continue to grow

 

[Cooking]

Poker boom happened many years ago, probably until black friday in 2011. Then I think it had another peak during the covid pandemic in 2020, because you had to stay at home. Nowadays and for the next years, I think it will be stable or is going do reduce the number of players, because many countries are not allowing online poker anymore.

 

[louuu19]

I think poker reached its peak during the pandemic, but it will always have dedicated players who love the game and will never quit.

 

[perrywh]

In dim-lit rooms where bluffs were king,

Cards flipped fast with a hopeful swing.

Eyes met screens, hearts raced with flair,

Online poker's grand affair.



But now the bots sit, cold and keen,

Calculating odds, unseen,

No tells to read, no blinks, no sweat,

Just perfect plays, a sure-fire bet.



AI learns each subtle cue,

Masters bluffs and tactics too.

Where once was heart, now cold, precise,

Numbers rule the roll of dice.



The chat grows quiet, jokes fade thin,

Gone the thrill of human grin.

No rival's sigh, no nervous glance,

Just algorithms in a dance.



So raise a glass to days gone by,

When bluffs were bold, stakes ran high.

For soon the chips will fall alone,

Robots ruling every throne.

 

[oriole]

Poker will keep growing—new players always come, and the game keeps evolving online and live.

 

[andron205]

It depends on the country, with popularity increasing in Argentina and Brazil.

 

[amonlima]

Poker is always growing, there are new players all the time, I think the tendency is for the game to become technically more difficult as the years go by.

 

[steve01991]

as people are caught up with betting on sports, i see poker in a state of limbo right now, maybe they can figure out how to gamble on players reaching the final table and keeping peoples interest in the game.

 

[NSX_Amfe2nat]

Taking into account how online rooms are growing, poker is still not at its peak

 

[Dimidrol2]

I think online poker is stagnating and going through difficult times. A lot of limitations and unexplored factors indicate this. The new rummas reshape the wash of the game into some kind of show.

 

[quick]

I was skeptical a few years ago that poker would grow and instead was figuring, especially online, that it would decrease further and further.

But I'm happily surprised in past year or so that things seem to be looking up. Our local card rooms, I'm located on East Coast USA, (at least the one I go to) seem to be doing just fine, lots of action, lots of tables, lots of different types of players. Online poker, especially here in the USA finally seems to be recovering and most definitely in past 2 months when multiple sites finally got multi-state player pools merged. I mean literally overnight the geofenced single state sites traffic on each one has almost tripled if not quadrupled, guarantees have increased, game selection has increased. Many of them are linked to well know casinos and almost all of them have online casinos and sports books built in. I think too as these regulated sites grow further they will further improve game integrity security and work harder to combat blatant cheating.

On the unregulated sites, it sounds like more of them are losing players due to difficulties with maintaining game integrity, site uptime, payouts (really used to love Bovada/Iggy but in recent years it's just gone downhill). I think WPT Gold is a fresh take kind of like Global but I think here in USA this sweepstakes loophole model will be outlawed soon enough especially as casinos expand the states they offer regulated iGaming in. I would like to see the old school ClubWPT get back to it's former glory, as of last year it was still a good value for the membership, now seems unless you pay an extra monthly fee on top of the VIP fee you can't access many chances to win seats to WPT events.

And just in general the popularity of Mystery Bounty tournies, more satellites online again to live events/majors, and seeing some return to mid/late 2000s competition between sites is showing increases in bonuses, rake back, and promos.

Overall I think poker is on an upswing. I would not have said that as recently as 2-3 years ago. I also was saying a few years ago that competitive professional gaming in video games would be where the next generation of poker players will go instead of pro poker, but I think there's a healthy balance of old and new players in both gaming and poker.

 

[Margo17]

I think it will continue to grow, especially the number of better players, it is growing more and more, at least here in Brazil, I see that!

 

[Leandro6803]

I sincerely believe that it is at its peak, but there are still many doors for poker to enter and become more recognized worldwide.

 

[Alex Houngan]

Poker may not experience another "boom" like the early 2000s, but I believe it still has room to grow in new ways. With streaming, short-form content, and mobile Apps making the game more accessible, a new generation is discovering poker. However, the average skill level has definitely increased, making it tougher for beginners. A true second boom could come if major platforms improve accessibility and regulation worldwide.

 

[thedarkman]

Wait until there is another Black Friday like a decade and more ago then ask that question again.

 

[Sschafell]

I believe it will continue to grow

 

[istbno]

Poker has experienced several waves of popularity, notably during the “poker boom” of the early 2000s, but it has continued to evolve rather than peak. With the rise of online platforms, mobile apps, global tournaments, and the influence of streaming on Twitch and YouTube, poker remains accessible and appealing to new generations. Additionally, innovations like short-deck hold’em, hybrid formats, and increased regulation and legalization in various countries contribute to its growth. While its mainstream visibility may fluctuate, poker’s blend of skill, psychology, and entertainment ensures it will continue to thrive, especially as a niche competitive mind sport.

 

[DiazPoker3101]

I think poker is currently at one of its highest points in terms of popularity. The thing is, there's a lot of competition right now, and it's getting harder to reach the high stakes.
What concerns me is how the game will adapt with the rise of AI. That could be an interesting topic for debate: will AI and poker end up complementing each other?