The International Federation of Poker is the official governing body of poker. The federation was formed in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2009 and promotes the game as a mind sport. Recently, the federation announced plans to host two new events in 2011: a Nations Cup duplicate team tournament and the IFP World Championship “The Table.” These events are set to feature 130 of the world’s best players. In addition to the upcoming World Championship, the federation plans to host an annual poker tournament.

During the early 2000s, the televised World Poker Tour and the European Poker Tour emerged as popular spectator sports. The popularity of these games grew dramatically, as online satellite qualifier tournaments became more popular. Poker players began to become celebrities. Many would compete for the chance to meet these famous players. The poker world exploded. It was a big year for poker. The popularity of the game caused the official poker hand chart to be released.

The game is not for everyone. Some players act out of turn, and this will hurt their chances of winning. It is also best to leave negative emotions at home while playing. There are plenty of poker professionals who never make it to the World Series, and many have left the game because of boredom, lack of funds, or other issues. Perhaps the biggest reason for professional poker players to leave the game is going broke. These players are often unable to beat their opponents consistently and cannot break the current stake levels. Many of them work 16-hour days, making barely above minimum wage.