http://youtu.be/62kxPyNZF3Q

FWIW - I don't think poker is dead and I don't think it is dying either. Things change and evolve over time. Poker is no different.

^^This was from last year.

Pokerscout releases a weekly report, and in their latest article they reported that traffic is down another 12% from this time last year.

http://www.pokerscout.com/news/weekl...ar=2014&week=9

As you can see, traffic has been cut in half in the past few years. Games are drying up, rooms are dying, bots are getting better and more sophisticated. These are tougher times than ever online.

poker isn't dead. I am playing now

Everything I love turns to **** in the end

Pokerstars is alive and well.

Poker is not dead. It is simply different than 10 years ago both live and online. Roll with it.

Apparently you feel pretty strongly about this.

Actually, we can't see that, since there's no indication of what the numbers are on the vertical axis - the bottom certainly isn't 0. And the graph is charting "online poker liquidity", not traffic. But let's just run with 50% for the sake of argument.

I don't find it especially surprising, given what's happened with the UIGEA and segregation of so many Euro markets, that online poker is way down. I hardly think it means that it's necessarily dying, either. I think the next couple of years will be somewhat telling - as the massive US market starts regulating the game in a few states, we may see this downward momentum slowed, stopped, or even reversed. If we see a couple of similar drops in the next few years, I'd be more concerned for the future.

Yes, you're right, the bottom probably isn't zero.

It's more accurate to say that there's been a 50% decline off the highs from 2002 to now.

I don't know what the official start of online poker might be, but Pokerstars was apparently founded in 01, so it's probably pretty close to the beginning of the boom. Moneymaker took down the ME in 03.

Pokerscout uses the terms 'liquidity' and 'traffic' interchangeably, from what I can tell. From their front page:

And I agree, I don't think this is irreversible. Legislation that allowed for national playing pools would be a huge tailwind. There's also probably a cyclical nature to this, and the effects of the 08 financial crisis were far-reaching and are still with us. I'm just not bullish on a quick recovery. There's been a lot of obstacles thrown up in the past couple of years.

I'm more bullish on live poker right now.

Online poker is not dead. Anyone who says it is is ******ed sorry. The games are tougher. Harder to find "good" ones sure...But by no means dead. In theory it cannot die unless it actually is removed period. The game can even be the same as it was in "the golden years" if you work hard at it. You just have to figure out what that "work" is .

For those looking to get rich. Those pursuing the "dream"...Yea that is perhaps "dead" or at least much less possible than before - But to earn a living playing poker...Online...Sorry not dead.

It's what you make of it. Simple as that. All this being said...Yes...Frustrating (or can be) / hard times ....But dead...Stfu lol

Poker is not dead and is only going to get better in the coming years. It will boom again when the USA gets sorted out. Just be patient and play on the US facing sites until then. Or spin it up and head for Canada.

There wont be another poker boom, sorry.

just looks like pokers running below ev, standard downswing imo.

Just because you say its going strong doesn't make it true. You will be broke before you start shaving anyway

It definitely is, especially in the United States due to bankrolls being constrained by the lack of economic opportunity in both the workplace and in online poker.

Granted, Bovada and Merge have had some success, but it will never be the same as the FTP/Stars era. It's hilarious to see in that graph how the cash in the community grew after the UIGEA. I also would love that graph correlated with the DJIA....I'd bet you'd see some similarities.

The expansion of wealth in the poker community during that time, sadly, will probably be never matched again (although on the high end, there will always be expanding action and that will probably increase as incomes overall splinter. See: Macao).

Plus, here in the US, the economy is still crappy. I'm seeing the same people at the casinos and home games around where I live over and over, and the economy here in Boston is above average.

The runner counts at the WSOP will be interesting to see.

11 years of traffic data isn't an adequate sample size?

First of all, Pokerscout shows number of seats taken (not individual persons).
There was no zoom/rush/any type of fast poker before 2010.
Regular table regs play 12-24 tables
Fast poker regs play 3-6 tables.

Poker isnt dead its far from booming though. Alot of countries (not just the US) have changed laws regarding the game online which have hurt the games image and popularity. I agree with the OP that many pros have become bitter towards the game because of the changes that have happened and alot of the excitement they once had is gone. The game does change when its a JOB and not a hobby anymore.

But as a former pro, I agree with the pros that you really need to think long and hard about choosing poker as a LT profession especially if it means youre dropping out of college or not going to college. Its impossible to see 5,7,10 years down the road and how your attitude and wants in life will change. A 20 yr old guy will go through significant life changes and changes in his wants/desires by the time he is 30 yrs old and i imagine again by the time he is 40. Playing poker as a profession doesnt leave you many outs later in life if you decide its time for more steady income. It would be great to be the Gboros and Moormans of the world, but those guys are the extreme minority.

most people don't make big $$$ in online poker

Do people still do this for a living?

Can people even do this as a money-making hobby anymore?

Lollll you guys are sad

All you NL donks need to come over to LHE.

People saying poker isn't dead is like rocking out to Good Charlotte and Blink182 and saying Punks not dead.

Everybody saying poker is dead is the reason why only a top % win @ this game. There will be always be winners and there will always be losers who make excuses

as a hobby player i have more fun than ever playing in my homegame or some good live omaha tables but sitting with all the "pros's" online isn't really that funny. you play against 5 robots on a 6max table. everyone tanking for 20 seconds because they have to complete there other tables.

i only get fun online if i play heads up PLO higher than i should. anything else is just a waste of time and to boring.

At the moment It just cant be fun for any fish 1-2 table online (especially not NLHE).

Every time I see some Jackass get 1k in with top pair deuce kicker, I think to myself Poker is dead.