Wladimir Taschner publishes The History of Online Poker — book now on Amazon

Wladimir Taschner published The History of Online Poker: The Players, the Money, and the Making of a Billion Dollar Game and the book is available now on Amazon, according to the original review of 10 October 2026. Taschner assembles facts and personal accounts covering 25 years of online poker, from the earliest days to the post‑Black Friday era.

The core of the book and the author's motivation

Taschner decided to write after recording a podcast with a friend in which they told stories about online poker; both ended up writing their own books. The volume combines a factual strand — platforms, training sites, key figures — with personal narratives about what happened off the tables. Taschner describes his life in poker as "half of my life" and uses a striking phrase often repeated by those outside the game: 'It's like drug dealing'.

For the research, Taschner supplemented his direct experience with archival work: he consulted sources on the earliest days of internet poker and added his knowledge of later stages. The book aims to document who and what drove the growth of an industry that reached a multi‑billion dollar value.

How Taschner entered online poker and his cash‑game trajectory

Taschner began playing with friends and later discovered online freerolls. He recounts early bankroll busts and that he later achieved better results when he could devote more time to grinding at university, even skipping semesters to play. He climbed the stakes ladder as follows:

• started in the micros

• in Las Vegas he was already playing $5/$10

• he rose quickly to $10/$20, then $25/$50

• he reached $40/$80 on Full Tilt Poker

He trained with Krantz (Jay Rosenkrantz) from Deuces Cracked and acknowledges that software advances — programs like CardRunnersEV — hardened the game in no‑limit hold'em. Taschner explains he moved to pot‑limit Omaha when he noticed his "feel"‑based style no longer worked: this was around 2010–2011.

"It's like drug dealing," Taschner recounts, comparing public perception of poker to clandestine activities and emphasising the degree of fascination and suspicion outside the circuit.

The chronicle includes a personal episode: a day when he lost about $100,000 but finished the day with $10,000 in profit; the experience made clear to him that playing for large sums was stressful.

Platforms, figures and moments that defined the online poker industry

Taschner walks through recognisable milestones. He identifies Isai Scheinberg, founder of PokerStars, as the most influential figure for many players, and argues that Scheinberg saved poker after Black Friday when Full Tilt Poker stopped paying players. He also places Chris Moneymaker, Tom "Durrrr" Dwan and Viktor 'Isildur1' Blom as key pieces in shaping the online era.

Moneymaker is noted for his satellite win that triggered massive interest in playing from home. Dwan is presented as a player who, by moving to High Stakes Poker, proved that the online school could dominate televised formats. Blom and Dwan represent the explosion of high‑stakes tables at their peak.

Black Friday is described as the day everything "came down" for the US market; the industry in that market had not fully recovered, according to Taschner.

What the factual section covers: platforms, training sites and technology

The book documents the evolution of leading platforms such as PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, and the emergence of training sites and analytical software that transformed pro preparation. Taschner distinguishes the technical side — analysis software, equity tools and trackers — from the culture that formed around the tables. He describes how professionalisation forced players to study far more than experiential knowledge provided.

Anecdotes and the human fabric behind the phenomenon

Taschner includes stories about the daily life of online players: some attempting to reduce latencies by relocating near gaming hubs such as the Isle of Man, the appearance of wait lists for rented tables, and the sense that tables were profitable only if a weaker player showed up. Even when parts of the narrative are technical, the author seeks to tell the human side and episodes not present in official records.

Relevance for the industry and sector professionals

For operators, regulators and suppliers, the book serves as a chronicle of how technological and regulatory changes shaped markets. The account of Black Friday and Scheinberg's role in the recovery is direct. The text also explains why players' shift to more technical approaches affected the commercial structure of rooms and the demand for training tools.

Where to find the book and format

The History of Online Poker: The Players, the Money, and the Making of a Billion Dollar Game by Wladimir Taschner is available now on Amazon, according to the original note published on 10 October 2026. The original review also mentions that the article's lead image was generated using AI.

Related reading and regulatory context

The piece links to debates on regulated markets and the impact of forced closures in jurisdictions. For analysis on how regulation has changed operations and player relationships, consult reports in regulation and for business trends in platforms see the b2b section.