Online figures bring poker's fever-pitch growth into clearer focus: Online operators are expected to rake in $1.7 billion this year from U.S. Playing Card Co., a subsidiary of Jarden Corp.Īnd maker of the Bee and Bicycle card brands, said sales of poker chip sets are up 1,000% over the past three years, raking in $10 million in poker-set sales last year. Nobody knows how much money is exchanging hands at games in private rooms across the land, but U.S. Poker accounted for almost 13% of $7.8 billion collected from the broad category of table games like blackjack, craps and poker. casinos last year collected roughly $1 billion in poker revenue through seat fees and pot rakes (the casino collects a portion of the pot), according to Christiansen Capital Advisors, a New York-based consulting firm. Online and local games allow players to win seats at major tournaments, giving amateurs with little money a shot at competing with the pros. America is caught up with poker fever, particularly the Texas Hold 'Em version, and the craze is thriving through the proliferation of TV programs showing all manner of players raking in the pot, sometimes to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's no wonder she dreams of being a pro. 'I don't discount anything that's possible,' she said. What does she hope to achieve with her newfound poker smarts? She spends much of her free time playing the slots, but Davis never played poker before. 'If I love this much, then I need to be a better gambler, and slot machines are not the way to go.' 'I love to gamble, and I figure this is an investment into my future,' said Sherry Davis, a 46-year-old data entry operator from Orange, Calif. maybe professional gambler.' ” - Sherry Davis

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