Poker is not very common, is it? Wrong. Poker is one of the most popular games in the world, with an estimated 100 million players worldwide. The United States is proudly home to the majority of the world's poker population, with around 60 million players.

American players represent more than 60% of the global poker economy. Today, I'll be going over the top poker trends for 2023, as well as the reason for the sudden influx of new poker players and the future direction of the industry.

10.Variety of games. The most popular gambling games, including Texas Holdem and Omaha, have now been mostly settled and the new insights of professional players are being taken advantage of. Force newer players to create new variations and games, so they have more possibilities.

9. CryptoPayments. After the recent FTX fiasco, everyone is wondering what the crypto industry holds for the future. With that being said, players hope that online casinos do not keep too large a portion of their deposits in cryptocurrency. Players may start demanding more transparency regarding the exact whereabouts of funds held by online casinos.

8. Crypto Games. Crypto gaming and sports betting software has been in the hands of creators for years. The main criteria that online players have to judge the reputation and safety of an online casino are the years that a platform has been on the market, reviews, and payouts. Crypto may still need time and testing before the market can get on board.

7. Recession. At this point, most of you are aware of the coming recession. Twitter and Amazon are not the only companies affected. How will this affect poker? All previous recessions have actually brought a boom to the casino industry. With the loss of many jobs and the risk of recession hanging over everyone's heads, we will soon see what the river is for the casino industry.

6. Games at home. With more and more gamers online and mobile, everyone is eager to show off their new skills. I know I've been invited to more home games than ever this year, which leaves plenty of opportunities if you get into the right net.

5. WSOP. Last year didn't have the number of players that usually show up to the WSOP (for obvious reasons). Now that the restrictions are being eased, this year should see a sharp reversal in the number of players attending the WSOP. There should also be plenty of endorsements for celebrities and social media influencers at the WSOP.

4. New records. Big casinos generated record revenue in 2022. Whether this came from the cryptocurrency boom or from stimulus checks, some of the hype is now slowing down and it's unlikely we'll see a similar pattern in 2023. If you're disappointed, know that the surge of players in recent years will last for a while. Poker has a way of carving its way into the hearts and minds of lifelong players.

3. Virtual Reality. Casinos Better than online poker? Devices like Oculus are bringing poker to virtual reality. The drawback of playing at online casinos is the lack of the social aspect. It's just not the same. The only thing stopping VR from completely taking over the online sector is the legalities of gambling and building a platform that offers real money gambling to its players. Virtual reality brings a fun aspect that is often lacking in online poker: reading your opponents, talking to them, and reading their body language for clues. This is the only thing that live poker has over online casinos. Although online poker has its advantages as well, virtual reality casinos have combined live and online poker to create something great.

2. Expansion. With the push of new players to the market, many ended up in online casinos, and in 2023 I will finally make it to the casino. So keep an eye out for online players showing up at your local casino. If you come across players online, be sure to use your skills at the poker table to put pressure on them. As poker technology and online casinos evolve, there will be many innovations in the industry. We have already seen some cases of this with virtual reality casinos and online dealers. Virtual reality headsets like the Oculus have started to release some literally game-changing online casino games. Although there is still quite a bit of room for improvement before virtual reality gives online casinos a run for their money.

1.Growth. Poker has seen 250 million players flood the market in recent years. Why? Because the pandemic forced the poker industry to move to the online market. They have done it through mobile games. This allows new players to get a feel for the game by playing free or low-cost games. Plus the ease of downloading the app at your fingertips.

Summary: Next year will be a great WSOP to watch. With all the new celebrity poker pros taking on some of the biggest social media giants. I'll definitely be tuned in. The coming year will be a turn of events, and I'm sure there will be some big developments in the world of virtual reality and online gaming.