For the past 8 years, the popularity of Texas Hold em hands has surged in the North American region. The cause of such growth is attributed to the expansion of Internet poker and television channels such as ESPN broadcasting the annual World Series of Poker. Millions of Americans are now involved with online poker. The increased use of U.S. payment options like online casino amex has strengthened America’s position as the world leader in the industry.

The legality of online casino usa games was unclear. But on September 29, 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) was passed. This law made it illegal for online poker destinations to process payments from a US bank. Back then, PartyPoker.com was by far the #1 poker website. Anyone who knew the winning poker hands in order knew the name PartyPoker. However, on October 2, 2006, PartyGaming, PartyPoker’s parent company announced that it would suspend its operations in America.

This caused ripples of concern to cascade through the poker community. What would happen to online poker in the US? Would avid internet players no longer be able to take advantage of Hand Converter tools and online sites? Various other established poker brands also announced that they would close shop. 888 Poker, and all the Playtech brands would no longer be available to customers in the United States.

However, not all online poker rooms closed their doors to the US. Two notable sites were Poker Stars and the Full Tilt Poker Bonus. Soon after the UIGEA was passed, PokerStars.com released a statement to their customers. In it, they said that they didn’t believe that the law affected them, and that they are committed to remain open.

There has been a long argument in the poker community about whether poker is game of skill or a game of chance. PartyPoker.com apparently decided it was a gambling game and abandoned the US market. PokerStars took the stance that poker is a skill game, and that the American poker online law does not apply to them.

With the exit of the #1 poker site, the field was now wide open. Poker was still very popular, and players decided to simply change the site they played at. The result is that Poker Stars is now the #1 online poker site in the world. At any given time, about a quarter million (250,000) people can be found playing poker on their site. This is far more than even PartyPoker had when they were at their peak. FullTiltPoker is also doing extremely well, and average about 100,000 people online at a time. Other pro-US sites like the UB Bonus also flourished. It appears that even with the passage of the UIGEA, the rise in poker popularity has not ceased. Commercials for both FullTiltPoker.net and Poker Stars can still be seen on TV.

Anyone who wants to try to makes a poker deposit and win some money playing online poker should give PokerStars, FullTiltPoker.com, or one of the many other popular American poker rooms a shot, using a certified US payment option like online casino amex.