It may have appeared as if the poker boom was starting to fizzle out. TV ratings had plateaued, poker gifts were not top of anyone's Christmas list and TV schedules overflowing with poker shows just seemed too much.

But its not quite the end of poker - anything but. Poker is still booming where it matters. Prize money continues to show substantial increases - the WPT prize money went up $30 million in 2005 from $70m to $100m, whilst the amount of players entering the World Series of Poker is booming - drawing more than 32,000 entries last year.

In the US, poker is becoming as influential as other top sports - including baseball and basketball. Its put Las Vegas on the ESPN map despite all other major sports avoiding the place and licensing and merchandising is everywhere - from beer and watch sponsorship to poker branded cell phones.

Poker viewers and players are mostly younger to middle-aged men - those most coveted by advertisers for their willingness to spend money.

The World Poker Tour, which began as a global tournament, is seeking more international deals along the lines of a recent agreement to create a separate poker tour in the Philippines.

Nearly 150 countries broadcast the (world poker) tour, which ends at Bellagio's newly upsized poker room in Las Vegas....

As popular as the game is in the United States and parts of Europe, poker remains a fairly unknown entity in much of the world. That new frontier includes Asia, where casinos are salivating over the prospects of reaching a relatively untapped population.

It looks like poker is here to stay

Article: TV fans go all-in on poker