1. Technological Advancement

Online poker rose with online gaming and gambling generally. As technology allowed for increased access and convenience in playing online, poker grew to attract more players – especially those that would not previously play poker. Where technology either wasn’t there or trusted in early days, the poker boom benefited from licensing, anti-fraud tools and auditing which guaranteed the fairness and security of online poker. More specifically, the rise of other online technologies such as eWallet payments which removed chargebacks encouraged online play.

2. Convenience

Directly relating to its technological development, one of the primary reasons online poker experience a boom was its convenience over real life casinos. For new poker players, an internet environment is a less intimidating experience than a truly live game, giving young players and novices an ability to find their feet and learn the game. This, in turn, encouraged younger players who were adept to taking on mobile and online technologies. Even today, online poker is an ideal place to learn the rules of the game in general, with handy guides available to improve both skills and strategies, allowing new gamers to put theory into practice far sooner.

3. Chris Moneymaker Effect

Although more anecdotal, the case of Chris Moneymaker winning a World Series of Poker tournament with just a $40 buy-in, was both popularly reported and may have encouraged an explosion in online poker players looking to mimic or mirror his success after 2003. From this year on, new poker tables, casinos and events seemed to proliferate at an impossible speed, until they lessened around 2008 (following both saturation of the market and the financial crisis).

Action

Action games are dynamic, rich, and comprehensive to keep a player totally immersed in the changing events that are in the game. This category of games has become massive to the point of that sub-genres have been created:

Horror: the primary characteristics of this sub-genre is the anxiety effect and fear factor that makes players stay on the edge. These games are filled with puzzles, riddles, unexpected attacks, and labyrinths. Some of the most popular games in this category include Amnesia and Resident Evil.

Fighting: this sub-genre involves hand-to-hand combat where the player has to defeat the opponent through kicks and punches. Real martial art combat strategies are used to play the most popular games like Guilty Gear, Tekken, and Mortal Kombat.

Shooter: in this sub-category, a solo player often journeys into a path to defeat enemies. Some of the popular games of 2018 include Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Max Pyne, and Half-life.

Role-Playing Game (RPG)

This game requires a player to assume the role of a character who has several traits like strength, hit points, and other skills sets. As the player moves along, they can improve their characteristics. Some of the best RPG games of 2018 include Magic, Might, and Fallout.

Strategy Games

Games in this category require a player to develop a plan and execute it. You can play Turn-based strategy (TBS) sub-genre games like Sid Meier’s Civilization and Heroes of Might & Magic. You can also play Real-Time strategy sub-genre games like Emperor Battle of Dune or StarCraft which were quite popular in 2018.

Live dealer poker

Some of the most popular online games of 2018 include Hi Lo and 3 Card Poker. These online games are a result of the merging of blackjack and traditional poker. These games are characterized by the rankings of the poker hand, while the player plays against the house.