So far, nothing has slowed the online poker juggernaut, which is transforming the tournament landscape that had long been the province of a relatively small circuit of professionals.

Last year, the World Series was won by the aptly named Chris Moneymaker, a Tennessee accountant who had honed his skills and qualified for the series by winning an online tournament. Moneymaker, an unknown in poker circles, became an overnight media sensation.

Online poker is minting a whole breed of young, aggressive players who are taking the sport by storm in part because they can gain experience quickly. Poker online moves fast, with time restrictions for considering bets.

With no waiting for a human to shuffle and deal, people often play more than 30 hands in an hour. Some play at multiple tables, using extra-large or dual computer monitors.

"In the 1990s, it would have taken you 20 years to get the amount of experience that it takes in a year now," said Annie Duke, who has been tutoring Affleck and is regarded by many as the top female professional.

And those players can get a chance to do what is impossible in almost any other sport: Start from nowhere and be able to challenge the best in the game.

"How many people wouldn't love to go one-on-one with Michael Jordan?" said Daniel Negreanu, 30, a top professional who moved from Toronto to Las Vegas in his early 20s to pursue a poker career. "Poker offers people of all sizes and ages the chance to be a superstar."

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By JONATHAN KRIM

The Washington Post