Prior to online poker and the so-called Chris Moneymaker evolution following his World Series of Poker victory in 2003, an influx of fresh faces joined the poker community. Many of these players had never before played poker and instead played other casino games , and within a few years had found themselves financially secure for the rest of their lives playing poker online. How could young amateurs crush the game in such a short period of time for such a large amount of money? Young people brought a fresh new look to the game, and dragged it out of the smoky backrooms and basements and in front of the TV cameras. Mainstream society that wrote poker off as a gambling game for degenerates now saw that there was something more to it; they saw the valuable roles math, probability and psychology played in a not so simple game of cards. The internet piped poker right into their dorm rooms at school, and the rate at which hands are dealt online, as well as the ability to play more than one table at once resulted in a tremendously expedited learning process, as years of poker education could be condensed in a few dozen ten hour sessions aided by red bulls and delivered pizzas.

Not many of the young internet superstars started off destitute, but very few of them deposited any more than a few hundred dollars en route to millions. Most started in the lowest limits and moved up as they felt more comfortable and their bankroll grew, and quickly mastered the next level. Make no mistake, many others tried and failed, and the young poker elite succeeded as a result of hard work, and gifted minds that happened to be perfect for the analytics involved in poker.

Live poker professionals often bristle at the success these young people have had, as the older generation of pros had a much longer, more tumultuous road to the top, and have trouble processing that someone half their age could be at the same skill level, or possibly even better than they are. It is a tough reality, but in many cases, internet pros make much better decisions on average based on math and probability, and have excellent bankroll management skills. The top online pros are without a doubt comparable with any name live pro. What can be gathered from this is that the online forum for poker is a great learning ground for nearly all skills necessary to play live poker. Following their stories and using them as a template for your online ascension, regardless of how old you are, is a great way to start making more money playing poker.