Could Poker Become the Next Big Esport? Analyzing the Potential and Challenges

Electronic sports, also known as esports, have become huge in the past few years. This has mirrored a resurgence in the game of poker, played online and in physical casinos across the globe. In this article, we discuss the potential and challenges faced if poker becomes the next big esport. How competitive do your poker games get? The thrills and spills of a game are very similar to those found in online competitive gaming, also known as esports. With popularity growing in both, could poker be the next big esport? In this article, we discuss the potential and challenges.

The Growth of Esports and Poker

Esports is a term used to define competitive electronic gaming. Two individuals or teams will face off against each other in a contest. This can be done in an amateur setting or professionally, and there is usually a spectator element to it. They could go head to head in a one-on-one fighting game, like Street Fighter, or it could be a team battle in games like CS:GO.

In a short space of time, esports have become extremely popular. If you are in any doubt as to their relevance, then the evidence is plentiful. The market is projected to reach $4.3 billion by the end of 2024. Competitions such as The International, the tournament that focuses on the game DOTA 2, had a prize fund of $40,018,195 in 2021. The Asian games have even included eSports events and bookmakers now take wagers on matches.

Poker has been around a lot longer. It is generally defined as a group of card games that involve betting on who has the best cards in a hand. The game had its biggest surge in popularity during the 2000s, when the World Series of Poker began and was televised. This also coincided with the earliest online games. While it did drop in popularity slightly after, it has found a new audience with reinvigorated online offerings. But is it popular enough to sustain an audience, the likes of which the best esports do?

Does Poker Have the Popularity to Be an Esport?

The strongest evidence for the possibility of poker being a successful esport can be found in the previous poker boom. Not only was the World Series of Poker televised, increasing its popularity, but it was also placed in front of viewers who would not normally have engaged with it. This was down to the NHL lockout, a strike that stopped the league going ahead. Poker games were placed in the timeslots on TV matches would have occupied, introducing a whole new batch of people to the excitement of poker. For poker to be an eSport, it needs to reclaim this spectator element. Websites like Pokerscout are available online to rank real money poker sites based on a selection of factors. These mainly include the bonuses they offer. However, few of the sites have spectator elements, where you can watch games without having to take part. You can also see the traffic to each individual website, showing the most popular, much as you would see people viewing live streaming videos. This shows the desire for the game is there, but poker needs to reclaim this spectator element.

The Community of Esports

Part of the appeal of esports also comes from its interaction. Many spectators play these games themselves, unlike traditional sports. For example, people enjoy F1, but many people don't go out and play it. Thus, much of the joy of esports is about being part of a scene. There are forums and groups online where people talk and discuss teams and titles.

Poker is quite an isolated pursuit, and it could learn a lot from esports regarding this. DOTA 2 is a great example of how fans could get involved. The game's prize funds are partly crowdfunded by fans, one of the reasons the pot is so big. This could be done with poker, allowing people to contribute to the tournament and feel like they have invested in it.

Can Poker Be an Esport?

Another question that needs to be raised is if poker even needs to be an esport. There are obvious revenue streams that come into play with esports, mainly sponsorships. However, these already exist in competitive poker and their value is extremely high. The biggest websites often sponsor individuals, giving them buy-ins, financial compensation, and money for promotional activities. Adding a spectator element may create revenue from broadcasting rights, but it would add little to the amount top-level players are already getting.

Fundamentally, it comes down to the differences between a game and what constitutes a sport. There are plenty of card games played digitally online, such as Magic the Gathering. They have not been included in the esports sphere, despite the obvious connections.

A sport is defined as an activity that needs physical effort and skill, is done for enjoyment or as a profession, and is played competitively. Poker, while requiring skill, does not require physical activity. While esports are played by people often sitting in gaming chairs, hand-eye coordination and quick reflexes are necessary and need to be trained and built. Much like chess is not in the Olympics, poker is a purely mental, strategic affair and it may be this that prevents it from being an esport.