The Evolution of Poker

First, we had cards that you could touch and feel with your hands. You could toss them into the muck, you could slam them down on the table, and you could slide them unseen to the dealer.

You also had plastic discs called chips; you could smoke, throw people intimidating stares, and physically throttle them if you chose. We are, of course, talking about the brick and mortar world of poker.

Then, as time melted away, the game evolved, and soon the only sensations were the rattling of keys underneath the fingertips.

You could play the same game without even leaving your bed. All you needed was an internet connection, a laptop, a poker account and some time.

With the transfer to virtual Poker Sit and Go Tournaments complete, you could play multiple tables, receive bonuses in the form of rake back, and you could even qualify for the live tournaments those older folk used to play in the bygone era.

The International Stadiums Poker Tour (ISPT, led by a group of ambassadors that include Sam Trickett, Michael Mizrachi, Liz Lieu, and Patrik Antonius) have taken the evolution one-step further.

The inaugural event will take place inside Wembley Stadium, where over 30,000 players will compete on hand-held computers before the final stages are played live in the centre of the stadium

So, what is next? A question asked by the latest Betfair Poker News this week.

Recently, in World Poker Tour (WPT) Malta, some of the players were also embroiled in online tournaments, so they brought their laptops down to the playing area and played both live and online simultaneously.

Maybe the next stage in poker’s evolution is for the two-worlds to collide.