Poker Trends to Watch for Australian Players in 2023

What can you expect at the poker table in 2023? We’ve looked into all the upcoming poker trends this year. Let’s dive in!

POKER – WHERE WE WERE AND WHERE WE’RE HEADING

Poker is a game steeped in history and tradition, going back hundreds of years. Yet it is also a game that continuously evolves.

Whether it be rule changes to force players into faster play or tournaments raising the stakes even higher. There are also technological breakthroughs that facilitate global online poker competitions.

Typically, it’s at land-based casinos players have been battling it out when playing poker. But then, the recent pandemic triggered a major shift to real money online poker instead. Now more people than ever have joined the online poker community. Even many professional players have left the poker floor at brick-and-mortar casinos to take the game online.

Indeed, 2023 is likely the year poker may truly connect with all four corners of the globe.

LATEST POKER TRENDS

Poker is a game that has gone through many external changes over the decades, but the core principle of poker remains the same: bet your way to glory. There’s unlikely to be any new poker strategy and bluffing tactics breakthroughs – those days are long gone. But, technological advancements mean there is plenty to look forward to in 2023 and beyond…

1) CRYPTO POKER

It’s finally here! Crypto poker could revolutionise the way we play poker online in 2023. Many Australian online casino sites already accept cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin as a deposit method, and this opens the door to even more players being able to compete in tournaments.

We’re likely to see more online poker tournaments where the stakes, and the prize, is cryptocurrency. This is much more international, as cryptos are used all over the world. And, it opens the door for more players, as there are a whole host of high-roller poker players that play exclusively with cryptocurrency. Not least can you expect to see a larger competitor group of poker players from Asia, where crypto poker has been around for years.

2) ENTERING WORLDWIDE TOURNAMENTS

The general legalisation of online gambling across the world – and especially in Australia and the USA – is facilitating the growth of international poker tournaments. Now players who have joined the same casino brand can play against each other in tournaments.

Even the major competitions such as the World Series of Poker, the Unibet Open and the like have satellite tournaments in individual regions, whereby the champions are then invited to the main event. Tournament poker has never been so popular. Not least because 2023 is the year when all travel restrictions are lifted, and we can start jet-setting around the world again.

3) VIRTUAL REALITY POKER

If you don’t want to visit a casino then why not bring the casino to you? Virtual Reality poker is the next big advancement in this game that plunges the player into the heart of the action. With VR technology players can sit at a virtual poker table and compete against others while remaining at home.

The capabilities of VR are seemingly endless and more casinos and tournament organisers are expected to offer this technology in 2023. This will truly make your online poker experience feel like you’re playing at a real brick-and-mortar casino.

4) LIVE DEALER POKER WILL BE MORE POPULAR

Indeed, along with VR, live dealer casino poker is becoming increasingly popular in Australia. And internet casinos are more than willing to facilitate this demand! Nowadays, all online casinos offer a live casino, and this is where you’ll find most poker players.

Most professional poker players are only playing peer-to-peer poker, but casual players tend to prefer casino poker. There are fewer strategies involved, and thus the entry level is lower for novice players. But casino poker is not only for casual poker players, it’s also ideal for true thrill seekers. With the coming of large progressive jackpots in poker games like Caribbean Stud Poker and Casino Hold’em, players have flooded to these games.

And, unless we’re mistaken, we can expect to see new poker game versions emerging in 2023. Look out for new poker rules, side bets, and not least progressive jackpot prizes.

5) THE DWINDLING POPULARITY OF VIDEO POKER

The game of poker holds a steady grip on the gambling community all over the world. But, there is one poker version that’s dwindling in popularity – video poker.

Before live dealer poker and the instant play possibility for peer-to-peer poker, video poker was all the rage. However, now in 2023, the case is quite a bit different. Video poker games are not by far as popular as they once were. This means it has become a much less lucrative game type for online casinos to offer.

Due to this shift, we’re not expecting to see many new video poker titles being released in 2023, or the years to come. That being said, it’s not like we think the games will be removed from the casinos. It doesn’t cost anything to keep the games available, even though they are rarely played.

RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING

Having more people gamble online is expected to improve the safety measures put in place around problem gambling.

Gone are the days of backyard betting houses. These days players can join safe online casino sites with the knowledge that they adhere to government standards and regulations. That means their accounts are protected against fraud and there are safety nets in place to help prevent problem gambling.

In 2023, responsible gambling will become even more of a thing across the world. The US is legalising gambling and lawmakers are working on how to ensure betting remains responsible; in the UK gambling companies are paying more into responsible gaming initiatives; and Australia’s Gambling and Racing Commission is making strides to improve the responsible gambling experience across the country.

2023 AND BEYOND – WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM AI?

The biggest innovation everyone in the poker and gambling world is waiting for is AI to truly make its entry. Although this is not expected to happen quite yet, so we might have to wait for 2024 or beyond before we see a real breakthrough.

Within the online poker sphere, AI is likely to even the playing field. There are already software programs that can help with your poker strategy, but nothing like what AI can do. If rumours are right, AI will not only be able to help with predicting cards but also with predicting other players’ behaviours.

When other players are bluffing and how much or little you should raise to keep them betting, are questions AI can assist you with. And, it might even be able to tell you to switch to another table if that will increase your chances of winning.

Exactly what AI-assisted poker will look like, remains to be seen. Not least will it be interesting to see how poker operators deal with all of this. We’ll just have to wait and see…

Looking for other online casino games? Learn more about bingo online or learn how to play blackjack online.