Poker popularity in Europe and other locales

[Chewbacca]

Hello friends,

I have become an avid internet poker enthusiast and I have heard a buzz that Europe and to a lesser extent Asia and South America are having somewhat of a "poker boom" and that poker playing is growing in the mainstream very fast, similar to the U.S. poker boom early this decade.

I wonder how much this is poker industry hype and how much is true?

So I ask my fellow European and other international Ironworkers if poker is becoming as trendy as the poker media makes it out to be in your locale?

[Harkoliar]

i play texas holdem with friends. i just won the pot last week . There are places in sydney you can play on weekends for free. People host them.

[johnny]

Poker is growing raipdly in popularity overhere, it's on tv almost every night, tournaments in which celebrities participate, stuff like that. I know how to play poker, and it can be fun, but watching others play poker, to me, is as exciting as watching the grass grow. I stick with ballgames, at least people get injured physically as well as mentally in those games.

[Legolas]

I know what you mean, snooker's a lot more exciting.

[Dragonshadow]

I must confess to liking snooker.

Over here, we have (or did have a few months ago) a late night poker program that was on sometime around 1 am for a few hours I think... It was rather boring.

[Chewbacca]

I'd way way way rather play poker than watch it. Not only is it a bit boring, but TV producers over here practically try to make it one long human interest segment witha few all-in hands in-between. That said, certain unedited poker tournament broadcasts can have a wealth of education and skill demonstration for a learning player. The downside of course is the beginner mimicing the sophisticated plays they saw on TV with disasterous chip-spewing results.

Thanks for the Feedback so far ya'll!! :