{"id":29210,"date":"2019-09-19T23:37:47","date_gmt":"2019-09-19T23:37:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=29210"},"modified":"2019-09-23T10:15:00","modified_gmt":"2019-09-23T10:15:00","slug":"as-pa-online-poker-countdown-continues-pro-hopes-big-things-lie-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/as-pa-online-poker-countdown-continues-pro-hopes-big-things-lie-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"As PA Online Poker Countdown Continues, Pro Hopes Big Things Lie Ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"

As poker players in Pennsylvania<\/strong> await online poker, many are growing impatient for the virtual tables to open. With the markets in New Jersey<\/strong> and Nevada<\/strong> treading water, the Keystone State offers hope for expansion and growth.<\/p>\n

With sports betting growing and casino gambling now legal in Pennsylvania, the state also has a vibrant poker scene.<\/p>\n

Professional poker player Zach Gruneberg<\/strong> knows quite a bit about the poker scene in the state. He offered his take this week to USPoker<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The player\u2019s view and the waiting game<\/h2>\n

A regular at the online poker tables before Black Friday in 2011<\/strong>, Gruneberg won millions online. He also has $1.8 million<\/strong> in live tournament winnings.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s seen the poker scene in the state and NJ firsthand and recently won two events at the Borgata Poker Open<\/strong>. He\u2019s also found success in the Borgata\u2019s World Poker Tour<\/strong> events.<\/p>\n

In 2016, Grunberg finished runner-up in the Borgata Poker Open for $490,617. He took third in the Winter Poker Open in 2018 for $321,533.<\/p>\n

What is the mood among players in the state waiting for online poker to debut? Gruneberg echoes the frustrations of many.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe feeling is that everyone is just getting a little impatient because everyone keeps hearing that it\u2019s going to be soon,\u201d he said. \u201cApparently it was supposed to be in August;\u00a0well that didn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Could online poker be huge in PA?<\/h2>\n

The state has a big tournament and cash game scene. Several casinos and players are also jumping in major NJ events.<\/p>\n

The WPTDeepStacks tour makes stops at the Rivers Casino<\/strong> in Pittsburgh<\/strong> and Parx Casino<\/strong> near Philadelphia. Harrah\u2019s<\/strong> in Philly has hosted the WSOP Circuit<\/strong> in the past.<\/p>\n

How does Gruneberg think online poker will play out in Pennsylvania? He believes it will do well overall and can kickstart the industry a bit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think everybody\u2019s pretty excited for it and I think it will be pretty awesome,\u201d he said. \u201cGenerally, we have no idea when it\u2019s going to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead to PA online poker launch<\/h2>\n

Pennsylvania offers another populous state for online poker. With 13 million, the hope is that it will eventually add considerably among shared liquidity markets with NJ, Delaware<\/strong> and Nevada.<\/p>\n

Three major poker companies already have deals in place in the state:<\/p>\n