Poker has developed from a popular card game into a spectator sport. The drama and thrills that the game provides makes it an ideal option for arena audiences, while many more tune into the big tournaments via TV broadcasts.
It’s all part of poker’s evolution, but part of the attraction for spectators is the fact that large sums of money are involved. A big prize pot adds to the tension.
With so much at stake, it’s easy to forget that poker can also be a social game. Enjoyed among friends and family, there is no need to stake real money, and that’s why a significant number of social poker apps are taking advantage.
Wide Ranging Landscape
The current set of poker apps is bigger than ever before, and it’s growing all the time. Players have the choice to download a range of free games from their app store, while there’s even a set of casinos open to social play.
One of the most significant developments in the iGaming industry in recent times, has seen the advent of social casinos. These operators do not publish games where money is at stake, and instead, they use a form of virtual currency. The list includes platforms such as Wow Vegas casino, but the choice continues to grow with more providers coming online on a regular basis. It seems an odd concept in an industry which has previously focused on real money providers, but the gaming public has responded positively.
It seems that while competitive poker is big business, the social games will never go away. In fact, the increase in the number of social casinos suggests that poker for fun is an important part of the gaming landscape.
First Games
The very first poker games to hit the internet were purely for entertainment purposes only. They came online in 1997, and like all websites of that vintage, they were extremely primitive when compared to today’s portals.
Those who can remember playing elementary card games on their home or work computers will recall how these looked. They were functional, but the subtlety of today’s poker apps was some way off.
Real money poker websites were quick to follow, and the first of these came online on New Year’s Day 1998. Online casinos and sports betting sites had been seen since the mid-1990s, so it was inevitable that poker would follow.
The next few years saw social poker take a back seat. Real money games took over, while players waited for the next big developments.
Going Mobile
Mobile gaming was slow to develop initially. As with PCs, the first social poker games were very basic and came as part of a package before smartphones took over. As those smartphone devices set in, social poker games suddenly developed a new audience.
The widespread availability of apps quickly followed, and they provided the next big step. Technically, the history of apps can be traced back to 1983, but most users would have become familiar with this technology from around 2010 onwards.
The earliest poker apps followed a similar path to those initial static websites from the 1990s. At first, the emphasis was on entertainment, with no funds at stake. The apps offered a choice of poker versions, while some broke ground by offering players the chance to take on other competitors from around the world.
The pattern continued as real money casinos started to develop their own apps. Poker was now available via these platforms, and customers could play for real money stakes using their own funds. It wasn’t a complete takeover, but social poker apps faded into the background once again.
Recently, however, those social providers have been fighting back.
Full Circle
Some industry experts would have been sceptical over the introduction of social casinos. While there is the possibility of winning cash and other prizes, the main focus is entertainment via that virtual currency.
Poker, and other casino games should have a fun element and while money on the table adds to the drama, not every player is comfortable with this concept. Those players can still enjoy the buzz when they win a hand, and their virtual currency balance increases. If they keep winning, there are prizes to be claimed, but there is no need to stake real money on these platforms.
Social poker apps have, therefore, come full circle thanks to the free game providers, but is the evolution complete? Many social casinos are just as big as their real money counterparts, so it will be fascinating to see if there is room for further development in the near future.