Poker Articles

As we fast approach the end of another year, those of us who are more reflective usually look back and try to figure out what made the year special. Some years are defined by a single moment or event while other years are more a series of less pivotal things. In my estimation, 2007 falls into the latter category.

However, if I were to pick one pivotal event for the year 2007 it would have to be Annette winning the WSOPE. In one fell swoop we have both our youngest bracelet winner and our first female main event winner. No matter what your personal feelings are, this is huge. But, as big as this incredible feat is, it will not have the effect on the game that say, Moneymaker winning the main event did. Both the ranks of women in poker and really young players have been swelling for years now and there will be no flood due to Annette’s win. Still, any look back on 2007 has to begin with a tip of the hat to a great and deserving champion.

The WSOP here in the USA also had its share of memorable moments and started with a bang when Steve Billirakis, known to online players as MrSmokey1, won event number 1. Many posts were made after the win declaring 2007 as the year of the online player, but it was not to be. After Steve’s win, the big noise came from Phil Helmuth as he won his 11th bracelet to take the lead in the race for the most wsop wins. Also of note was Jeffrey Lisandro winning his first bracelet. There was some excitement at the main event when Hevad “Rainkhan” Khan made the final table, but no bracelet.

As the WSOP and also the WPT have flourished and continue to expand into every venue and also into branded products, so the independent tournaments have declined. The biggest evidence of this is the terrible showing made at this year’s USPC at the Taj Majal in AC. It seems that poker has joined the ranks of most other competitions and become a slave to television coverage. If your tournament isn’t on TV then the field size suffers and most, if not all, of the “name” players stay home.

On the online poker front there were numerous things of note in 2007. Of course you can’t discuss online poker in the past year without mentioning the legal battles of the US government. I’m sure I don’t even have to mention the impact this ongoing fight has had on online poker. At best right now we can say that we are in a kind of holding pattern as the lawmakers decide the best way that US interests can be served. The funny thing about this is that now I sort of understand what all the old stories about prohibition I hear are about.

Two seemingly at odds things have been happening simultaneously this past year. Poker training sites and poker communities/online have flourished and membership in both is at all time highs. At the same time, more players continue to bust out and/or give up the game. I look for some kind of equilibrium to settle in this coming year.

No discussion of online poker in 2007 would be complete without at least touching on cheating. I don’t know whether it was the fact that cheating was rampant this year, or just that we finally found evidence that it exists, but either way, it was out there. And it wasn’t just the cheating that made news, it was also the hating and the bashing that even suspicion of cheating brought down on any and all involved. Fear and loathing in Las Vegas indeed.

Another thing that came into its own this year was data gathering programs. What was once a tool reserved only for the geekiest/most computer savvy of online poker players is now the must have online poker accessory of the year. These data mining programs have become so popular that some online training sites offer videos that teach you how to use them. And hot on the heals of this trend is the ever growing concern of complete automation and poker playing bots. This is one to watch for the coming year and beyond.

Rounding out the online poker hot items for 2007 is the complete change of the metagame. This has really been a slow pendulum swing over the last few years from TAG dominance to LAG dominance, but this year it reached its zenith. Although there are some dominant TAG players left, they are definitely in the minority as LAG rules. Even old stuck in the mud nits like me are having to add more aggression to our games just to keep up.

Finally, this year has taken some fine folks away from us and the game we all love. Notable online and live players died in 2007 and we shall miss them all, but none had more impact on the game than Chip Reese. In these days of screaming winners and losers, obnoxious sharks, loudmouths and foulmouths, Chip Reese was always a class act. I had the privilege  of playing with Chip twice and he remains as one of those players I try to emulate when I am at the table.

So we bid adieu to 2007. Much of the year’s events have left us shaking our heads wondering what can possibly come next. Me, I am looking forward with as much positive attitude as I can muster to what lies ahead in 2008. I won’t make any predictions except to say that I am certain big changes are in store for us all.

I wish you all a happy, healthy, and successful 2008.