4 Jan
There was no blowing out candles or anybody eating cake and ice cream, but many poker players will likely tell you that logging on and playing poker is party enough for the 20th birthday of online poker.
That milestone arrived on Jan. 1, 2018, exactly 20 years to the day since Planet Poker opened its virtual doors for real money. The site began as a free-to-play option in 1997, then transitioned to accepting deposits when the new year of 1998 arrived.
Did My Check Clear Yet?
Take a guess how the first few players at Planet Poker deposited money at the poker room. Believe it or not, those players had to mail a personal check – via snail mail – in order to establish an online bankroll.
Twenty years later and deposit options sure have evolved and changed. Credit cards ruled the roost for most of the past two decades, but that deposit option is now getting kicked to the curb in favor of Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum, or whatever cryptocurrency comes next in this ever-changing world.
Poker Boom Thanks to Blumer
Planet Poker, the brainchild of Randy Blumer, a Canadian poker player and visionary, couldn’t roll with the changes in 2006 when the UIGEA was passed in the U.S. With a player base that was predominantly U.S.-based, Planet Poker had to make way for the new big boys to take over – PokerStars, Party Poker, etc.
But we are forever indebted to Blumer for carrying through with his vision and making online poker a reality. Although the first 20 years may be remembered more for scandals and the seemingly never-ending legislation difficulties, perhaps the next 20 years will be known as the era when poker was finally recognized the world over as a game of skill that adults who choose to do so can play from the comfort and privacy of their homes.
Happy Birthday Online Poker!
