David Kaye: Michigan’s First Year Of Online Poker Was A Success, But Bigger, Better Things Could Be On The Way

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Written By David Kaye on January 28, 2022
Poker hand and chips

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Saturday, January 29th, signifies a significant milestone as it marks the completion of one year since the initiation of regulated online poker in Michigan. This past year has undeniably been eventful and transformative for the industry.

On that day, PokerStars made its long-awaited comeback as the first operator to introduce online poker in the Great Lakes state. This was a significant event, considering PokerStars had not offered online poker in Michigan since their departure on April 15, 2011. A few months down the line, BetMGM Poker joined the Michigan market, providing Michiganders with two options for online poker sites.

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Online poker’s long-awaited return to Michigan

April 15, 2011 is commonly known as “Black Friday” within the poker community. It marked the departure of PokerStars and Full Tilt, the two leading online poker platforms, from the American market. Despite being fairly new to the game back then, I vividly recall the profound impact this event had on the online poker scene, especially in the United States.

Poker has made a comeback in Michigan, but it has undergone significant changes since 2011. Presently, the poker options available in Michigan are limited to sites that exclusively cater to residents of the state. Consequently, players must be physically present within Michigan’s borders to participate in these player pools.

Although I was thrilled about the implementation of regulated online poker, I couldn’t help but worry about the potential lack of players in a restricted one-state player pool. It was crucial to have a substantial player base to support cash games and tournaments with generous prize pools. While I acknowledged the presence of a vibrant poker community in Michigan, I questioned whether it would be sufficient to sustain a complete player pool.

Year 1 of online poker a success in Michigan

Yes, the short response was affirmative. Right from the beginning, PokerStars Michigan had numerous cash games available at varying buy-in levels, along with tournament series featuring prize pools reaching up to $100,000.

Despite occasional slight dips, the Michigan market continues to remain strong even after one year.

Players eagerly flocked to participate in the new market, despite the state-imposed lockdowns due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This resulted in the closure of casinos and poker rooms throughout the state.

Michigan residents now had a platform to enjoy poker with the introduction of these online poker sites.

Bigger, better things on horizon for Michigan online poker?

Despite the initial success of online poker in Michigan during its first year, there is a collective optimism among players and industry professionals for the future, with expectations set high for the upcoming months and years.

For several months, there have been ongoing rumors suggesting that Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey are considering merging their player pools for online poker. Additionally, any upcoming states that grant approval for online poker with these operators might also join this alliance.

I believe that playing together is essential for the future success of online poker in the United States. Although the player pools in individual states have shown promise, the true potential of regulated online poker can only be realized when we unite and play together.

Having a larger number of participants in a single player pool results in an increased number of games and a wider range of options for players.

(To access more content, browse through the David Kaye archives.)

Players in tournaments are drawn to and actively seek out tournament series that offer substantial guarantees. When all the states participate together, there is a larger pool of players who can join any given tournament, resulting in larger prize pools. This is advantageous for site operators from a marketing standpoint as well. A tournament with a $1 million prize pool generates greater excitement among potential players compared to a prize pool of $100,000.

In cash games, a larger player pool leads to increased opportunities for players. This results in a greater variety of poker variants, a wider selection of tables, and higher stakes. All these factors are crucial for ensuring the sustainability of a cash-game market.

In late 2021, I made the decision to leave my corporate job and fully dedicate myself to playing poker and producing poker-related content. This choice was driven by my unwavering faith in the immense potential of the regulated online poker market in the United States.

In order to maximize its complete potential, I strongly advocate for the consolidation of regulated online poker states into a unified player pool. Alongside poker enthusiasts nationwide, I am optimistic that this development will materialize in 2022.

Just how well did David Kaye do in 2021?

After reading my review on the Michigan regulated online poker market’s first year, you might be curious about David’s performance at the tables in 2021.

Anticipating your question, I have compiled my poker results from the time of Michigan state regulated sites’ launch on Jan. 29, 2021, up until the current date of writing this article, Jan. 27, 2022.

Here are my cash game results. As depicted in the images, I achieved a total winning of $36,199 by primarily participating in $2.50/$5 and $1/$2 no-limit hold’em cash games. To provide further insight into my journey, I have included a graph displaying the fluctuations and fluctuations I encountered throughout the year.

Even though I mainly focus on cash games, I managed to achieve some notable wins in tournaments last year! My total earnings from the Michigan online poker platforms reached $32,622. Among them, my most significant triumph was securing third place in a $215 buy-in event on BetMGM, which rewarded me with an impressive $9,419.

Both websites offer lucrative programs that reward players with bonuses and rakeback, resulting in me receiving approximately $6,000 within the past year from these programs.

Playing on PokerStars and BetMGM, I have managed to accumulate a profit of approximately $74,000 in the past year when combining earnings from cash games, tournaments, and promotions. It brings me immense satisfaction, especially considering that I was simultaneously employed full-time until September 2021, actively participated in live poker events, and invested numerous hours editing content for my YouTube and Twitch channels.

I trust that everyone had a fantastic time engaging in online poker throughout the previous year, just as I did. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to partake in it once more in 2022!

David Kaye, a poker enthusiast hailing from Mason, regularly contributes a column to Playinmichigan. To keep up with his poker adventures, you can follow him on various social media platforms using the username “DavidKayePoker.” David can be found on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram.

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