Online is the way to start..

I was sent this interview by KYLE O'NEILL and thought it was quite interesting. Just when you think online poker couldnt get any bigger and the WSOP makes the popularity rise even more.

Have a read....

ASK THE EXPERT: We're all in! Online is way to start, learn

A record 8,773 participants entered the World Series of Poker and online poker is increasing. Editor-in-chief of PokerNews.com John Caldwell answered questions for us on the game.QUESTION: How has the World Series of Poker affected the world of online poker?ANSWER: The world of online poker and the WSOP have grown hand in hand. You could argue one has made the other, but the reality is that about two-thirds of the players who played in the main event this year won their way in (the tournament by playing) online.Q: Was Chris Moneymaker's win in 2003 a turning point of sorts, and what was online poker like before his victory? (Moneymaker won his $10,000 entrance fee with a $40 buy-in into an online tourney.)A: Moneymaker definitely fueled the mania that online poker has experienced over the last several years. The timing was excellent in that his win came right when broadband Internet was really penetrating into our culture and when the online rooms had figured out their early technical challenges.Q: For concerned parents, how well do these sites regulate who can use them?A: As well as they can. If a kid wants to use his parent's credit card, and the parent doesn't monitor the activity or keep their information secure, it's certainly possible the kid could get on. But, as with all things with teens, if a parent is responsible, and aware of their child's activities, underage usage should be very low. The gaming companies have multiple layers of security to prevent underage people from using the service -- this is as a result of the regulation these companies must endure. This type of regulation is badly needed here in the U.S., in my opinion.Q: What hand, whether it was in a basement game or a tournament, are you most proud of in your poker career?A: I have a favorite hand, 8-10 suited, which I have played a lot in my home games, often to the demise of many of my friends. It's gotten to the point where if I am in a pot, and the board would be good for an 8-10 hand, my friends just fold to me. I get much more pleasure out of that than any of my big hands in real tournaments.KYLE O'NEILL, SPECIAL WRITER

ASK THE EXPERT: We're all in! Online is way to start, learn

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