The Guardian – Usually when poker makes headline news it tends be alongside the word “addiction” or “gambling”, a precautionary tale of why this card game of skill and temperament should be avoided at all costs. So when Victoria Coren Mitchell became the first person to win two European Poker Tour (EPT) titles, garnering a significant amount of press interest among broadsheets and the more reputable media outlets, the whole poker community breathed a sigh of relief.
The truth is that poker has suffered greatly over recent years, particularly in the US where online poker was ostensibly banned in April 2011 in an event known as “Black Friday”, something the market is only starting to recover from thanks to legalisation at state level. The knock-on effect of Black Friday was that the best players in the US chose to move to Canada, Mexico or Europe so that they could continue to play online, while recreational and lower-stakes players were simply forced to stop. As a result the skill levels needed to compete increased dramatically.
Whether through this increased competitiveness or just plain luck, Britain has produced some of the best young talent in the game over the past few years. There’s Chris Moorman, widely recognised as the best online tournament player in the world, having won more than $10m online; Jake Cody, the youngest player to win what is known in poker as the Triple Crown (an EPT title, a World Poker Tour title and a World Series of Poker bracelet), which only five players have ever done; while Liv Boeree is one of only two women other than Coren Mitchell to have won an EPT. None of these players are older than 30.
What has attracted many youngsters to the game is the flexible lifestyle. Games run both online and live 24 hours a day and people are able select the times they play as it suits them. London-based player Sam Grafton explains, “Poker provides the opportunity to earn a living in a context free from the obligations and hierarchies most workplaces subject you to. Few young people are well-compensated for a long working week and little job stability. I am able to chose my own hours, express my individuality and potentially earn a great income playing a game that I love. There’s no alternative that comes close to that.”
