The World Poker Tour, a company once valued at half a billion dollars, has been in a steady decline.  It is an unfortunate fate for a company that can rightfully take partial credit for the poker boom that is still ongoing in the United States.  Of course, online casinos played a huge part in the poker boom as well.

The World Poker Tour introduced the world to the hole cam; a camera that allows spectators to seen the cards that poker players have hidden in their hand.  This invention allowed poker to become a spectator sport.  Once people got a sense of the skill required in the game, the already popular card game reached a level of popularity it has yet to enjoy.

Credit for the popularity of poker should also be granted to online casinos.  Online casinos introduced the world to Chris Moneymaker, an amateur card player that one a seat to the World Series of Poker while playing at an online venue, then went on to win the multimillion dollar tournament.  Chris Moneymaker was the perfect underdog story to get people involved in poker playing.

Although the World Poker Tour revolutionized the game, it could not keep a handle on its own creation.  The World Poker Tour brought poker to the television but it could not keep pace with all of the copycat programs that soon followed.  The company even failed to solidify its brand name as a steady or reliable revenue stream.  Many of its product ideas were being offered by online casinos for absolutely free.