His victory sent the world of poker into a frenzy and triggered a global boom which has often been referred to as the “Moneymaker effect”. Many of my current and past peers started their journey during these years and the poker industry has gone through several stages of marketing efforts, ambitious projects, development, setbacks and regulations.

Although the current streak of record numbers in flagship tournaments all over the world feels like an reiteration of the initial poker boom, there are several circumstances that ought to be considered in the grand scheme of things. Even now in 2023, the poker industry remains a niche market with limited visibility across the mainstream media and tarnished by the negative effects of its gambling reputation.

This Era’s New Major Power Player: GGPoker

From my personal point of view, poker’s being a niche market hasn’t really changed in more than a decade. Rather, there were just temporary flashes of engagement with mainstream celebrities initiated by the likes of PokerStars, partypoker, Full Tilt and the latest challenger for the industry spotlight, GGPoker. With the latter, a new contender has somewhat revolutionized the online poker scene and made it by far more competitive while they also made strides on the live poker circuit with numerous partnerships.

Standing out the most is perhaps GGPoker’s close-knit cooperation with the WSOP over the last few years, replacing prior long-term partner 888poker at the helm of dedicated satellites. They have launched countless innovations and have essentially set the pace out of the blue, becoming the first brand to not only get close to, but then even overtake PokerStars in terms of online poker traffic and perhaps even global exposure.

Even the Triton Poker High Roller series has teamed up with GGPoker as title sponsor in 2023 and the high-stakes brand also welcomed Shamballa Jewels and SecretLab as further event sponsors. It isn’t the first time Shamballa has entered the fray in poker as they previously cooperated with the World Poker Tour (WPT). SecretLab is a company based in Singapore that specializes in gaming chairs, catering to yet another niche market that has become a rapidly growing global industry.

World Poker Tour Still Going Strong After 20 Years

On paper, the WPT is perhaps a prime example of a major poker entity to embrace main stream partnerships outside of the enclosed poker bubble. They have recently celebrated their 20th anniversary and during that spell, the WPT engaged with several global enterprises to expand their horizon. Standing out the most from that list are perhaps the luxury jewelry brands Hublot and Baccarat, but they also have ties within the poker industry to companies such as Zynga Poker and Faded Spade.

The recent success of the global online and live poker operator culminated in stunning numbers during the WPT World Championship in December 2022 at the Wynn Las Vegas. It’s flagship $10,400 Main Event came with the largest guarantee in history ($15 million) which was nearly doubled thanks to an incredible 2,960 entrants, creating the largest live poker event for the brand to bring on the fireworks.

Moreover, the WPT have moved their major final tables to Sin City as well with the showdowns taking place at the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas since 2019. As part of the move, the broadcasts were recorded for the FOX Sports Networks, which was later followed by Bally Sports. WPT’s poker content was also distributed to the South American market via TV Azteca, which furthermore promoted the social poker gaming site WPTGO as part of the partnership.

Poker on TV… and PokerGO

Poker on TV was not necessarily an extraordinary occasion since the initial poker boom 20 years ago, especially as the WSOP gathered the most attention thanks to its shows on ESPN.  However, that cooperation concluded in 2021 when CBS Sports took over thanks to a new multi-year rights agreement.

Streaming platform PokerGO also joined the fray and took over many final tables during the annual summer camp in Las Vegas, which likely reduced the overall exposure of the card game to a wider audience in mainstream media channels. While poker enthusiasts wouldn’t worry about forking out a few dollars per month to watch new and exciting content because the card game has become their passion, the very same cannot be said about casual viewers who would otherwise have stumbled over a broadcast by chance.

Where Does the Poker Industry Go From Here?

Poker remains tightly connected to a gambling image that hasn’t been distinguished enough to the public despite numerous portals showcasing the multi-faceted aspects in regards to strategy, psychology, and risk-versus reward scheme. Poker operators themselves have launched their own schools to complement the available pool of poker training sites and learning communities.

They have also spent fortunes on advertising through various different verticals in the hopes of attracting new customers. One such method included the signing of well-known international figures such as sports or music stars, and even established marketing agencies to boost their exposure. In the grand scheme of things, that may very well have been a successful strategy in the past, much like sports bettors rely on NBA expert picks to make informed wagers. Then again, times are changing with social media influencers on Instagram and TikTok becoming a perhaps more considerate choice among the younger generation.

It still feels as if poker hasn’t been able to break out of its self-inflicted bubble and the most attention gathered in mainstream media is typically triggered by a select few moments or viral cheating scandals. The card game may have broken out of smoke-filled back rooms only to gather in the corner section of a casino instead. Even so, poker still has so many lessons to teach that can be used in all areas of life; alas, these things barely ever get any attention whatsoever.

As far as Chris Moneymaker himself is concerned, his name will forever be etched into the history books of the poker world. Now enshrined in the Poker Hall of Fame for his contributions to the industry, he represented PokerStars for more than a decade before eventually switching to become an ambassador for another operator. His latest venture is (re)launching the Moneymaker Tour at live poker stops across the USA.

Will you be a winner in 2021? There are several ways you can give yourself an edge. You can begin preparations long before the first card hits the virtual felt, so let’s look at seven ways you can be at your best and stay sharp during the 2021 World Series of Poker Online Series.

Image credit: wsop.com

1. Master Your Sleep Routine

Everything starts with how you sleep, and online poker is no different. If you’re not fully rested, then the brain makes lazy decisions. Those decisions are often based on how you’re feeling, and every online player knows that they have made a bad call at midnight because they know in their gut that they’ve not prepared for a sunrise finish.

The bald truth is that if you’re planning on winning a WSOP bracelet then you should be preparing for a very late night – or rather, an early morning – every time the tournament you’ve entered plays to a winner. Even if it doesn’t, a lot of the Day 1 finishes will go past the normal bedtime of a life lived around a day job or even playing cash or smaller buy-in poker.

World Series conditions require WSOP-level discipline to your sleep routine. Make sure that you’ve not had any stimulants in the form of tea or coffee before you sleep and stay off blue-light emitting phones and tablets before you take your rest for the night.

2. Know Where You’re Playing

While the story of Ryan Depaulo winning in 2020 from bouncing off the WiFi in a parking lot was pure gold in terms of entertainment, this strategy is unlikely to be beneficial in the long run.

Having a designated area where you know that you are going to play is vitally important to your success. It’s a lot like writing, playing poker. A clear desk with no distractions works best, where you can really concentrate on the cards and nothing else.

If you don’t have an office in your house or apartment, that’s not necessarily a big problem. Just find a space where you are dedicated to playing poker and your set-up is built around convenience and concentration. It’ll go a long way to keeping your mindset as strong as possible during the grind.

3. Maintain a Balanced Diet

This does not mean one hamburger in each hand. Eating well may seem like the least important of all the skills to master as a poker player. Surely three-betting, analysing opponent ranges and knowing your push/fold charts are more important? Well, yes and no.

While mastering your poker game is crucial to your success, the foundation of everything is how you sleep and what you eat. Since you should already have solved any slumber issues, conquering any dietary inefficiencies is next.

A balanced diet will contain some of the four main food groups, being the following:

• Fruit and Vegetables
• Meats and Proteins
• Dairy
• Grains

If you’re not incorporating enough of one or more of those groups, then you’re not giving your body the adequate balance of fuel it needs to make the right decisions with the brain and play healthy poker. It really is as simple as that – feeding the body feeds the mind.

4. Plan Your Schedule

The 2021 WSOP Online Series is a hell of a slog if you play every event, and it may not be optimal for you to do so. Everyone has their limits and that certainly applies to the WSOP. Making sure that you take shots without busting your bankroll is vitally important. Never bet what you’re not prepared to lose.

ONLINE GOLD BRACELET SCHEDULE ANNOUNCEDThe most prestigious online event of the summer IS HERE. Revamped set includes a 2x bracelet day and a Grand Finale with a $1 Million GTD–you don’t want to miss our biggest summer yet!
NV:https://t.co/jpsTPEdeb4
NJ:https://t.co/xTfQcq0YSm pic.twitter.com/0qRi2K4BrD

— WSOP.com (@WSOPcom) April 14, 2021

Choose the events that you are going to play ahead of time and that includes any re-entries you might be making. This might mean focusing on no limit events, PLO, freeze-outs or re-entries. Maybe you’re better in events that run early or late. Whatever it is that gives you any edge, take it.

Once you have a plan of action, factor in going deep in every event, then re-calculate. Once you’re done with that, there should be a planned schedule that allows you a couple of days off per week. And then…

5. Take Breaks on Rest Days

It’s important that you have the stamina for the grind if you’re taking on the World Series, whether that’s live in Las Vegas or from the comfort of your own easy chair. On days off, it is then vital that you fully switch off and relax.

That could be anything from getting some exercise to making plans with loved ones, but whatever you do, it’s been proved to be highly beneficial to take a full break from the mentally demands that poker impacts on the brain.

Many players also prefer to spend their “off time” playing other gambling games online, which aren’t as taxing on the brain as poker is. If you’re competing for bracelets from the Land of the Rising Sun, for instance, you may choose to take a break with a slots or live table games session at one of the sites you can find at Casino Guide Japan.

Without adequate breaks, any poker player can get caught up in the game to a negative extent, so make sure that you’re getting time away from the felt and you’ll be all the fresher when you return to it.

6. Come Off Caffeine

This may be a stretch for many of us, with regular tea, coffee and energy drinks all keeping us going on the long days of lockdown. In fact, even before lockdown, poker players were among groups who used caffeine more than most.

An instant stimulant, caffeine can push you through the last few levels of a poker tournament, or at least that’s what we’re led to believe. That’s a fallacy, however. Stimulants lead to a stimulus which then leads to a greater crash. In essence, the more we take caffeine, the more we then need it to come back up to that level.

via GIPHY

Drinking more water-based drinks (or, you know, water) is crucial to replacing caffeine as a crutch you lean on. The brain and body will then be more hydrated and make better decisions, leading to you having greater control over what you’re taking into your body.

7. Invest in Optimisation

In poker, optimisation might be making the correct decision every time (GTO play), which is something you can always strive to do, yet something that is impossible to actually achieve unless you’re a solver. Many players choose to up their game via enrolling in one of the best poker training sites.

Away from the tables, however, why can’t you make every effort to optimise in areas that will help your poker game? This might be the technology you use to play poker on by buying a new laptop or PC. It could even be a WiFi booster if you sometimes struggle for signal, preventing the worst feeling in poker – watching the online game auto-fold pocket aces due to a signal crash.

It could also be to help some of the areas we’ve already covered. From a comfortable new bed to the food or drink required to kickstart a new healthy regimen, optimization is about investing in key areas of your life which have an overall positive effect on your whole life.

From food and drink to sleep and getting the right rest, if you’re in peak condition when the 2021 WSOP Online Series kicks off, there’s nothing stopping you from becoming a bracelet winner.

Pat Lyons

In this episode of The Bernard Lee Poker Show on the Cardplayer Lifestyle Podcast Family, Bernard Lee interviews the 2020 WSOP Online Summer Series bracelet winner, Pat “IchiiKawawa” Lyons. He captured Event #17, the $777 no-limit hold’em tournament, earning $173,551 after emerging victorious from a field of 1,382 entries. During the interview, Pat explains how he got started in poker and how he practiced poker online prior to the WSOP Summer Series. Pat also discusses his ban and re-instatement from Caesars properties, winning a WPT event and continuing playing the summer events in Mexico on GGPoker.com.

Jeff Platt and David Williams

In this episode of The Bernard Lee Poker Show on the Cardplayer Lifestyle Podcast Family, Bernard Lee interviews commentators Jeff Platt and David Williams. They both commentated on WSOP events on GG Poker including the $5,000 Main Event.

Chad Holloway

In this episode of The Bernard Lee Poker Show on the Cardplayer Lifestyle Podcast Family, Bernard Lee interviews Pokernews’ Head of Tournament Reporting, North America, Chad Holloway. This past July, Chad was responsible for reporting all 31 bracelet events of the 2020 WSOP Online Series for Pokernews.com and WSOP.com. Spending the entire month of July in Nevada, Chad and his team reported on each event from start to finish.  Chad discussed with Bernard about the unique experience of reporting online poker as opposed to live events and also offers his suggestions of improvements for the future.

Hossein Ensan

In this episode of The Bernard Lee Poker Show on the Cardplayer Lifestyle Podcast Family, Bernard Lee interviews the 2019 WSOP Main Event champion, Hossein Ensan. While Hossein discusses two critical hands during his magical run, including the final one, it will be very helpful for many aspiring poker players. Hossein also discusses being not only the WSOP Main Event champion, but also a solid ambassador for the WSOP brand.

Hossein Ensan wins 2019 WSOP Main Event | Image credit: Joe Giron, PokerPhotoArchive.com