Poker is not always about playing at a table! Like any other competition, there are bets on the players that participates to poker tourneys. Population that bet on this players must now the player's game play and attitude like you know about your popular football team. This means that exterior this competitions Population watch their popular player on the day-life and tourney also. Beside the poker players have other hobbies like cars, golf, tennis etc. No other gambling sports. World Poker Tour (Wpt) get together a series of poker games under one name. Games take place daily and posted on television.
Any one who is over 21 years old can register to this tourneys. He just need to pay an entry tax that depends of the type of tourney. Player pays in the middle of 4000 and 12.000 Us$ and after a long session of games, the winners starts to play the World Poker Tour and after that only 6 player will remain and they will play at one table for the title of "Player of the year".
World Series of Poker (Wsop) started in 1970. This tourney is transmitted on Tv by the sports channel Espn. The registering tax for this tourney is 10.000 Us$. The estimate of players raise each year. In 2000 they were registered 4780 players and last year over 23.000. In 2005 the total prize was 47 million dollars. It was split to 560 players and the first prize was 7,5 million dollars.
Watch this numbers..are huge. In this case we can discuss about poker like a business. But let see another point of view... Many peoples play poker only for fun. Other players are dreaming to be the best from the best like players that are participating at Wsop, Ept or other great poker tournaments. For many players is not just about money...they want only to be the best - this feeling you can't buy with all money in the world! That's hobby or i should say that's passion. Everybody think in his way... One thing I can say with power...poker is a way of live...even if we talk about poker like a firm or like a hobby!
Is Poker a business Or a Hobby?