Quote:
Originally Posted by thaskalos
And here, in full display, is the big advantage that poker enjoys over horse-betting...when it comes to recruiting young, motivated gamblers to the two games. In poker, it's possible for the best players to start from the smallest stakes, and make it all the way to the top of the poker world...and the transition is out there in the open, for everybody to see. In horse racing...the young gamblers out there aren't even sure if anyone is actually beating the game...in any way, shape or form.
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I agree with all of this. Also, the Moneymaker effect and the television coverage (ESPN, Poker After Dark, et al) from the early '00s until Black Friday really helped to promote the game among its younger audience. Horseracing rarely gets national coverage, and when it does, it's sometimes relegated to random cable channels (i.e. NBCSN). Not to mention poker is more social in the sense that as a teenager you could play against your buddies on a Friday night over pizza and a few beers. Throw in the online poker thing, where it was easy to fund an account and action was available 24/7/365, well...