The growing allure of online poker

(BBC.com)

Do you fancy staring down poker players like Dave 'Devilfish' Ulliot? Paul is a currency broker who plays poker to relax when he gets home after a hectic day at work in London.
The 26-year-old logs on most nights of the week, sitting down at a virtual card table and battling opponents for up to four hours at a time.

As a hobby it is not unusual and poker is one of the UK's fastest growing ways to gamble.

"I've always loved card games, and played things like whist when I was younger," he explained as colleagues shouted euro prices in the background.

"I don't find it stressful, it's just a bit of fun."

Ace in the hole
The British - supposed champions of the underdog and defenders of the fair fight - have always loved a flutter.

Now they are gambling online in increasing numbers and companies are looking to cash in.

Online gaming firms PartyGaming and Empire Online, which both specialise in poker, announced plans on Thursday to sell shares on the London Stock Exchange.

So what is it that makes the pastime so attractive and why has the value of the global market more than tripled in size to close to $1.5bn (£827m) over the past two years?

Why we gamble
A way of escaping from stress or problems
Lure of the buzz, excitement, high adrenaline release
The competitive element - trying to beat other players, the bookie, or the dealer. The thrill of risk taking, placing large bets.

One reason is that poker is seen as a game of skill rather than luck, where one player is pitted against another and as Paul puts it, "the cream always rises to the top".

Another is the spread of the internet and our increasing confidence in the safety of online businesses.

On top of that, gambling is becoming an increasingly hip and accessible means of entertainment - just look at the resurgence of Las Vegas in the US and plans to build massive casino complexes in the UK.

Bookmakers no longer have blacked out windows, the lottery and its multi-millionaire winners are part of everyday life, fruit machines are in pubs and chip shops across the country.

Betting nation?
According to research group Forrester, 76% of the UK's 29 million adult internet users admit to regularly placing a bet either online or offline.

Turn on your computer and you can be in Vegas in seconds

Demand for PartyGaming shares is expected to be strong and early estimates suggest the firm could be worth more than £5bn.

Let's just put that into perspective - that would make PartyGaming bigger than stock market stalwarts British Airways and Sainsbury's.

What makes the internet such a good medium for gambling is that the computer, or the front door into the casino if you prefer, is often sitting somewhere in our house.

To get the buzz, you no longer have to put on a dinner suit or glamorous frock, sip martinis and bet your shirt on black. Nor do you have to brave a smoke-filled room full of people called the Devilfish and Amarillo Slim.

Today, you can make a nice cup of tea, stack a plate with biscuits and try to beat the odds in your pyjamas.

And that is what has got a lot of people very worried.

'Addictive qualities'
Previously, there was always a chance that your gambling urge would come at a time when there was nowhere open to place a bet.

Now "it's a problem 24-7", said Adrian Scarfe, clinical practice manager at gambling addiction counselling and advice service Gamcare.

"In the last three years we have seen a change," he explained from his office near London's financial centre. "Internet gambling has risen steadily and in my view it will continue to rise."

It's not the taking part that counts, it's the winning
According to Gamcare's latest report, of the 4,452 first time callers that provided details of their gambling experiences, 9% stated that the gambling was taking place on the internet.

Interestingly, in a world where gambling addicts are predominately male, more and more women are signing up for online gaming services.

"The internet has its own addictive qualities," said Mr Scarfe.

"Combine that with the thrill of playing cards and large sums of money and you have an extremely complex but dangerous environment."

Despite the concerns, online betting and games such as poker cause far fewer problems than the more traditional method of popping down the bookmaker or hitting the slots at the arcade.

And it would be unfair to blame the internet for the emergence of gambling addiction, which one analyst called a "hidden problem that has been around for years".

Observers will be hoping, however, that a boom in corporate profits does not mean a harmless bit of fun has to turn into a national obsession.

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