Online Poker Continues Hiring During Economic Downturn

While the recent economic downturn has forced many companies to lay off workers or slow hiring plans, online poker is bucking the trend.  Not only are many online poker rooms weathering the economic storm well but many are doing record business.

According to Poker Scout, a site that compiles statistics about online poker rooms, online poker traffic is up 40% from a year ago.  Last year was a record year as well.

So how are these poker rooms doing what most other companies can't?  Because they're relatively new and growing.  The poker boom started in the United States where poker was a well known and loved pastime of Americans.  Even when the US passed laws which forced many online poker rooms to leave the US the poker rooms simply shifted their strategy to Europe which was just beginning to catch the poker bug.  And then they moved east to across Eastern Europe and Russia.  In the Americas they forged south and sparked mini poker booms in Central and South America.  And while poker has catching on in places like Macau, Australia, and the Philippines, many see Asia as the next market to really explode with growth to keep the momentum going.

So the net effect is that as the boom plateaus in one market the online poker sites stoke the fires in new markets which keeps the growth healthy.

Obviously as a company grows it typically needs more personnel to handle the increased business.  And many of the jobs being created in the online poker industry are the result of exactly that effect.  But jobs are also created because each new country and/or territory has its own specific needs.

If you're going to expand into Germany then you need German translators, German speaking customer service agents, someone familiar with the local media market, and perhaps even someone to set the German market strategy.

Country by country online poker rooms have had to hire mini-groups to handle the country/territory specific needs of that country.  So in addition to jet getting bigger their organizations are becoming more specialized which means that one person can't write all of the copy or come up with a marketing plan that works everywhere.  They have to defer to specialists in each market who know that market best so they can get the best return on their investments in that market.

So if you've ever considered a career in online poker there are plenty of jobs available.  And don't worry, you don't need to be some sort of poker genius.  There are jobs in every discipline from HR to software engineering. 

Here's a sample of jobs recently listed on a poker job Search:

*Google Analytics Expert

*Benelux Country Manager

*Internal Security Analyst

*Technical Project Manager

*German Fraud Investigator

*PR and Events Coordinator

*Director of Web Development

*Polish Customer Service Representative

And that's just a small sample of jobs posted in the last few days.  If you have an interest in working in online poker then you should head on over to a Poker Job Search and see if anything there tickles your fancy.  The pay is usually good and seeing how unstable most "safe" jobs are these days you may be making the best career decision of your life.

Bill Rini is the founder of Rakeback Report on of the leading rakeback sites helping players who want to make a living playing online poker He has worked in the online poker industry since 2004 and has headed up poker operations and some of the world's largest online poker rooms.

Poker Table Tops - An Affordable Way to Play Poker During an Economic Recession?

The above question asks whether Poker Table Tops are an affordable alternative for Poker Players in today's economic climate? And whether or not Poker Table Tops make the playing of Poker more accessible to general members of the public, the ordinary Poker player?

This question is not posed merely to promote the product of Poker Table Tops. It ponders if the affects of the recent / present Recession, which has resulted in growing unemployment, reductions in take home pay and subsequently disposable income and the limiting of individuals earning potential, has led to the playing of Poker in casinos to become an unaffordable luxury for many Poker Players.

In attempting to put forward some kind of rational and logical argument to the question that is posed by the title, one must first ask 'Who is the ordinary poker Player?'

According to eCOGRA (e Commerce On-line Gaming Regulation and Assurance) the typical on-line poker player was:

Male 73.8%
Age 26-35 (26.9%)
Play two to three times per week (26.8%)
Have played for two to three years (23.6%)
Play between one to two hours per session (33.3%)
Play one table (24.1%) or two tables (24%) at a time
Play both cash games and tournaments (34%)
Play at big blind levels of $0.50 to $2.00(US) (61.2%)
Play with 6-10% of their bankroll on the table at any one time (23%)
Claim that they are average in terms of skill
Feel that there is slightly more skill involved in poker than luck (31.9%)
Travel over 100 miles to play poker at least 2 times per year (38%)
52% Internet Poker players have a bachelors degree or higher
75% of those who did not and would not try internet gambling where married while 56% of internet gamblers were married
37% of casino goers gamble online as compared to 5% of the general population

The above statistics not only show the general make up of the ordinary Poker Player but also their playing habits. Granted the above statistics are applicable to the on-line Poker Player, however eCOGRA went on to state, "Most studies suggest that demographics of online gambling are broadly similar to those of the offline gambling population, with a spread of income, gender and education."

Given the ravages of the world wide Recession money has become a scare commodity and people are retreating from the high streets. With less money in people's pockets there is less money for people to spend to help boost the economy.

With any recession people are left to re-evaluate their finances. Usually their little luxuries in life are the first to be sacrificed in their home budget. These luxuries include those trips to the casino to play the great game of Poker. It isn't a free and desirable choice, it's a choice dictated by the effects of a failing economy.

Granted on-line Poker offers the ordinary Poker Players the opportunity to play the game but that, in my opinion is impersonal. For me there is nothing like the feel of playing Poker in a room, face to face with your opponents, yet being part of the camaraderie that exist between players.

One could purchase a Poker Table for his / her home. This provides one with the opportunity to reproduce that Casino feel without having to travel. However it does also provide some difficulties. Furthermore, the cost of a Poker Table could be anywhere in the region of $2000 but in these recessionary times the luxury of having $2000 spare is not one luxury many people have.

Another option is to avail oneself of the many manuals on-line that illustrate how to build a Poker Table for between $200 & $300. Unfortunately not everyone has the skills or the desire to build one.

Further to the above, not everyone has the room to store a full size Poker Table in their house. As a result of the Recession, many people have had to downsize on their homes. Be it through choice, enforced sale or by eviction, people have had to seriously curtail their living habits and lifestyles. This includes reducing the living area / space in which most of us live. A full size Poker Table may not be a practical option.

Here is why I believe Poker Table Tops allow the ordinary Poker Player to play Poker during the Recession: Poker Table Tops allow all players to enjoy the game with like minded people in the comfort of their own home without the burden of high cost and with an added bonus of convenience. The cost of Poker Table Tops is relatively cheap compared to other products. Some affordable options start at around just $29. At this low cost, one can still enjoy the face to face intensity of playing Poker, Octagonal or Rectangular shaped Poker Table Tops can fit up to 8 to 10 Poker players at any one time.

Unlike Poker Tables, Poker Table Tops are not bulky items, lay them anywhere on any surface and quickly prepare them for playing on, they are just as easy to store away. This allows one to recreate that casino feel without having to sacrifice much needed space in their home.

I do not profess to be an Academic on this topic. This piece is based on my opinion, an opinion formed by witnessing more people looking for cheaper and more sustainable ways of maintaining a lifestyle they had prior to the world wide Recession. In that I believe Poker Table Tops allow the ordinary Poker Player an opportunity to keep playing Poker in a truly competitive and fun atmosphere, while not having the added expenses that were incumbent when travelling to the casino during the good times.

Therefore, in answering the question posed by the title, 'Poker Table Tops - An easy way to play Poker during an economic recession?' I would answer 'Yes, in my opinion Poker Table Tops do indeed offer an easy way to play Poker during a recession.'

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