Online poker has obviously only existed since the beginning of the Internet. And sitting down to a physical table with friends or strangers to enjoy the rush of playing cards for money has existed for hundreds of years. Truly, online poker would not exist if it were not for the worldwide popularity of its physical form. And I am not for one minute suggesting that online poker is a better all-around experience than enjoying the sights, sounds and excitement of physical casino or poker room play … or am I?

How big has online poker become? If you consider recent developments regarding the famous World Series of Poker, the storied Rio casino in Las Vegas and online giant PokerStars, then it seems that online poker may soon be the predominant player in both the virtual and brick-and-mortar card playing worlds. Information was recently released which could have far-reaching implications on the future of your online poker experience.

When online poker giant PokerStars moved to purchase a failing New Jersey brick-and-mortar casino, the company’s intentions were crystal clear. And now that Governor Chris Christie has legalized online poker in the Garden State, The Atlantic Club’s new owners are perfectly positioned to profit thanks to the structuring of that particular online poker piece of legislation. The bill passed in New Jersey requires that online poker players in that state open an account at a physical Atlantic City casino first.

Bally Technologies, Incorporated recently entered into a partnership with online poker giant Amaya. The Amaya Ongame poker network is made up of 25 of the most powerful brands already operating in the US gaming industry. That network is currently used for more than 20 million clients. Ongame is also globally powerful, with major poker networks on the World Wide Web in France, Spain and Italy. The agreement will take the Ongame platform and integrated with Bally’s iGaming platform, positioning it perfectly for the growing online gaming market in the United States, as well as globally.

Online poker Pro Viktor Blom is still relatively new to the sport, bursting on the scene in 2009. He is known as an incredibly aggressive and fearless player, and many other poker pros say that at times he plays with a careless and “donkey like” style. Whatever you say about Blom’s game, who plays under the name Isildur1 online, he is currently dominating the virtual felt, and it is difficult if not impossible to find anyone playing better high stakes online poker right now.