Throughout history, poker was a game played by men from all walks of life. Rich and poor, working-class or upper class – male players got to enjoy the card game regularly. But women, and certain age groups, were often excluded from playing poker due to social limitations.
However, in the past few decades, poker gained popularity online, which changed the playing demographic drastically. Nowadays, everyone above the age of 18 (or 21 in some cases) gets to join the best poker sites, without minimal concerns regarding race or gender.
So, with the help and influence of technology, the face of the average poker players has transformed dramatically. Who plays poker more often – men or women? How old are most online poker players? And what does the future hold for online casinos? It is time to find out the answers to all those intriguing questions.
Recent Data: Who Plays Online Poker More
Men vs Women
While in the past poker was considered a male-dominant game, nowadays, women are more inclined to play poker online and at live venues. However, things are still far from being equal on the gender front.
In a survey conducted in the UK, 44% out of 2,000 female participants said they played poker before. Out of those, 81% enjoyed their poker session, and approximately 30% played the game online.
However, 56% felt at a disadvantage because of their gender, and 68% of the participating women felt that the game was dominated by men, which is why some (32%) felt less inclined to play.
So, while there are more women playing poker than ever before, there is still room for improvement in this department.
Old vs Young
When it comes to the age of the average player, the numbers seem to vary between male and female players. According to surveys, less than 10% of female players are under the age of 40. However, when women reach the age of 60, they are more inclined to play the game, as the numbers rise to 20%-25%.
But when it comes to male poker pros, it seems as if most players are around their 40's, and the numbers are slowly going up. In 2010, for example, the average age of participants in WSOP main events was 37.33. Slowly but steadily, the mean age kept increasing, until it reached the age of 41.23 by 2018.
According to statistics, in 2018, the number of WSOP players around the ages of 31-35 increased by 55%. A similar change occurred in the 56+ demographic, with a rise of 51%. Also, the 36-40 age group seemed to become more dominant over the years (with an increase of 40%).
Beginners vs Professionals
Up until this year, most professional poker players stuck to live events, while recreational players frequented online poker rooms. According to surveys, approximately 68% of online players were beginners (played less than 200 raked hands), 25% were at an intermediate\advanced level (after playing 301-3,000 hands), and only 7% were considered experienced (playing more than 3,001 hands).
Since the stakes at online games tended to be quite low, it was the perfect environment for beginners to improve their poker play.
However, this year most poker pros had to play the game online due to social distancing, which means the stats are bound to change dramatically.
The Future of Online Poker
According to the numbers, most online casino players are 40-ish male players, who play the game recreationally. However, current events are changing the face of the poker world, which must affect poker demographics as well.