Promoting Poker through the World Poker Tour

The World Poker Tour Tournament is an American cable TV show that airs poker tournaments that are being held in online and land based casinos as well as in tournament yachts. It is one of the most prominent poker tournaments in the world - surpassed only in prestige by the World Series of Poker. The swift rise to popularity of poker as a game of ability and skill during the last decade is largely attributed to the tremendous public acceptance of the tournaments held by the World Poker Tour, the World Series of Poker and by online poker sites.

When it made its debut over Travel Channel, the World Poker Tour became an immediate hit and drew millions of viewers to the TV screen to watch every one of its thirteen two-hour episodes. It has become such a hot item that its first two shows are now on DVD so that those who missed the initial airing will be able to watch it. Now, all the excitement of the World Poker Tour comes to poker enthusiasts through a monthly magazine that bears its name giving them advice and some insights of the best poker players.

There are two ways to enter the World Poker Tour. The first is to pay the entry cost to the tournament which typically amounts to several thousands of dollars. Because of the huge entry cost, many aspiring tournament players resort to the second way - by paying a reasonable thirty to fifty dollars entry cost in satellite tournaments, hoping to win and clinch a seat in the main tournament of the World Poker Tour. Since many of the satellite tournaments are held in online poker sites and Internet casinos, poker enthusiasts all over the world can have a fair shot at the prestigious World Poker Tour and win a life changing prize pot.

If the World Poker Tour is instrumental in the growth in popularity of poker, it also has its fair share of blame in the increase in number of players with poor poker playing skills. This is not surprising because the media hype that promoted the game and the life changing prize pots that made instant millionaires and celebrities out of relative unknowns sparked the imagination of ordinary people. This inspired hordes of newbies and wannabes to try their luck in online tournaments which have very low buy-ins, but big prizes and the prospect of an entry to the World Poker Tour for the winner. Eventually, these new poker converts will either hone their skills or fall by the wayside and into gaming tables that require a much lesser degree of skill.