Texas Hold'em in Television and Film
The poker variant Texas Hold'em makes its global popularity felt during the first 10 years of the 21st century. Many sport gaming experts and critics attributes five factors that led Texas Hol'em reached its status today. First, Chris Moneymaker an online qualifier winning the 2003 World Series of Poker, second, NHL lockout in 2004, third, TV commercials of online cardrooms, fourth ,invention of online poker and lastly Television and films exposure of Texas hold'Em.
Before poker becomes a television fixture, a film Rounders (1998) with Matt Damon and Edward Norton play two gamblers out to outwit each other. Poker as a game of life was a given a new look. Moviegoers were treated with the romantic side of Texas Hold'Em. A clip of Johnny Chan classic battle with Eric Seidel during the 1998 World Series of poker was inserted to the film to add realism.
In United Kingdom, Texas Hold'Em was introduced first as a spectator sport in the 1999 television show "Late Night Poker". Texas Hold'Em popularity reached the US and Canada in 2003 thanks to lipstick camera, players' private cards can now be peek upon by spectators. In the 2003 World Series of Poker, which ESPN covers, an amateur player won the championship. Chris Moneymaker series winner of elimination tournament boosted the surge in popularity of Texas Hold'Em as a spectator sport. Now every amateur poker player from across each states and provinces takes extra practices to hone their skills. Applying the egalitarian idea that states that anybody even an amateur or a novice can win a championship.
Players competing in the World Series of Poker grew in numbers in recent years. From 839 participants during the 2003 it swells to more than two thousand in the 2004 championship. Greg "Fossilman" Raymer victory in the 2005 WSOP editions propelled Texas Hold'Em popularity to more amateur players. The 2006 Main Event attracted 8,773 competing for the grand prize worth $12,000,000. The event was won by Jamie gold of the US. In the 2005 Main Event, an unprecedented 5,619 entrants vied for a first prize of $7,500,000. The winner, Joe Hachem of Australia, was a semi-professional player.[28] This growth continued in 2006, with 8,773 entrants and a first place prize of $12,000,000 (won by Jamie Gold).[29]
Aside from the World Series of Poker (WSOP), some television shows among other World Poker Tour a long -running poker show helps in promoting and increasing Texas Hold'Em popularity to people. With the addition of network cable programming, poker is now a regular television fixture in the United States.
