Top 10 poker trends for 2023
10. Variety of games
The most popular gambling games, including Texas Holdem and Omaha, are now primarily figured out, and professional players' newfound knowledge is being taken advantage of. Forcing newer players to come up with variations and new games, so they stand more of a chance.
9. Crypto payouts
After the recent FTX fiasco, everyone is questioning what the crypto industry holds for the future. With that said, players are hoping that online casinos are not keeping too large of an portion of their deposits in cryptocurrency. Players may start demanding more transparency regarding the exact whereabouts of funds held by online casinos.
8. Crypto gaming
Crypto gambling and sports betting software have been in the creators' developmental hands for years. The main criteria online players have to judge the reputation and safety of an online casino are the years a platform has been on the market, reviews, and payouts. Crypto may still need time and testing before the market can hop on board.
7. Recession
At this point, most of you are aware of the looming recession. Twitter and Amazon are not the only companies being affected. How will this impact poker? All previous recessions have actually brought a boom to the casino industry. With many jobs being lost and the risk of recession weighing over everyone's head, we will soon see what the river is for the casino industry.
6. Home games
With more and more players going online and mobile, everyone is itching to show off their new skills. I know I have been invited to more home games this year than ever before, leaving lots of opportunities if you get into the right network.
The 2023 WSOP should see better numbers than last year.
Last year did not see the number of players who usually show up for the WSOP (for obvious reasons.) Now that restrictions are slowing down, this year should see a strong reversal in the number of players attending the WSOP. There should also be a lot of sponsorships for celebrities and social media influencers at the WSOP.
4. New records
Big casinos brought in a record high in revenue for 2022. Whether this came from the crypto boom or stimulus checks, some of the hype is now slowing down, and it is unlikely we will see a similar pattern in 2023. If you are feeling disappointed, know that the surge of players from the last few years will be around for a while. Poker has a way of working its way into the heart and minds of players for life.
3. Virtual Reality casinos
Better than online poker? Devices like the Oculus are bringing poker to virtual reality. The drawback to playing in online casinos is the lack of the social aspect. It's just not the same. The only thing holding virtual reality back from completely taking over the online sector are gambling legalities, and building a platform that offers real money gambling to its players.
Virtual reality brings a fun aspect that is usually missing in online poker –reading your opponents, talking to them, and reading body language for tells. This is the one thing that live poker has over online casinos. Although online poker has its pros as well, virtual reality casinos have blended live and online poker together to make something great.
2. Expansion
With the push of new players to the market, many have ended up in online casinos, and in 2023
I will finally make it to the casino. So be on the lookout for online players showing up at your local casino. If you come across online players, make sure you use your poker table skills to put the pressure on them.
As poker and online casino technology evolve, many innovations will be made in the industry. We have already seen some instances of this with virtual reality casinos and online dealers. Virtual reality devices such as the Oculus have started to launch some online casino games that literally change the game. Although there is still quite a bit of room for improvement before VR will give online casinos a run for their money.
1. Growth
Poker has seen 250 million players flood the market in the last few years. Why? Because the pandemic forced the poker industry to move into the online market. They have done this through mobile gaming. This allows new players to get a feel for the game by playing free to low-cost games. As well as the ease of downloading the app being right at your fingertips.
Wrap-Up: This next year will be a great WSOP to watch. With all of the new celebrity poker pros facing off against some of the biggest social media giants. I will definitely be tuning in. This next year will be a turn of events, and I am sure there will be some major developments in the world of virtual reality and online play.