One of the great things about playing at the World Series Of Poker is seeing how the popularity of the game has expanded globally. Americans still make up the vast majority of WSOP players, but Europeans and Asians now swarm to play in the events and cash games at The Rio. Two nights ago, I played against guys from China, Korea, Italy, France, and Lebanon. Last night, there were only three of us for whom English is our native language, and that includes the dealer.
I don’t know if it’s because their currency is doing so well against the dollar, or the European Poker Tour and other events have helped grow the game, or the credit goes to the online sites that are much easier to access in other nations, but it’s fun to have this melting pot of cultures to play with and against.