January 1994
First IRC hold’em program is released
August 1995
Internet Casinos Inc. launches the world’s first online casino
August 1997
Planet Poker opens for play money games
January 1998
Planet Poker becomes the world’s first real money Internet poker cardroom
September 1999
Paradise Poker opens for real money games
November 1999
Planet Poker deals its 2nd millionth hand
February 2001
Paradise Poker deals its 50th millionth hand
July 2001
Pokerspot ceases running online games
August 2001
PartyPoker opens for real money games Paradise Poker deals its lOOth millionth hand
December 2001
PokerStars opens for real money games
March 2002
Final of the first PartyPoker.com Million
May 2002
Highlands Club ceases running online games
June 2002
Paradise Poker deals its 200th millionth hand
July 2002
PokerStars runs first World Championship of Online Poker
November 2002
PokerStars organises world’s first 1500-player online tournament
March 2003
World Poker Tour premieres on the Travel Channel. Debut series includes PartyPoker.com Million and UltimateBet Aruba Classic
May 2003
PokerStars satellite qualifier Chris Moneymaker wins World Series of Poker
June 2003
PartyPoker overtakes Paradise Poker to become the biggest online cardroom
October 2003
PokerStars announces that it is joining the World Poker Tour with its PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
January 2004
UltimateBet organises the first-ever million guaranteed online tournament
February 2004
PokerStars organises its one millionth tournament
May 2004
PokerStars satellite qualifier Greg Raymer defeats huge 2500+ field to win World Series of Poker
October 2004
Paradise Poker acquired by Sportingbet plc for around $300 million PokerStars sponsors first-ever European Poker Tour
June 2005
PartyGaming launches on London Stock Exchange with market value of over $8 billion
July 2005
World Series of Poker attracts over 5,500 players, 1,116 of whom qualified online at PokerStars alone. Joseph Hachem wins $7.5 million first prize.