Rounders was a big influence because it was released while online poker was growing. It became a cult hit in the same way Office Space did.
In between Rounders and CM, the table hole cam really kicked poker into high gear. Without it, poker would have continued to be popular, but wouldn't have exploded. Remember the old WSOP broadcasts with Dick Van Patten? Brutal to watch unless you turn the volume off. People whonever played poker in their life could figure out what hole cards players had better than him. You could lose years of poker training in an evening listening to him (well, the wpt too).
The poker boom was a perfect storm of Rounders, Table Cam, Online poker and CM.
I didn't think Rounders was that great. It didn't make me want to play poker. Then again, I'm not a 20-something yuppy that's looking for a role model. 20-something poker players make me vomit.
for brits/ euros id say would be late night poker televised in the late 90s on channel 4 in the uk, not money maker or rounders. i watched this and didnt start playing poker until 2005
