[jcmack13]

...was NOT Chris Moneymaker, or Raymer, or whoever wins this years ME, or the writer of "Rounders", or Doyle Brunson, or Hellmuth, or Ivey, or any of them.

It HAS to be Henry Orenstein, the inventor of the lipstick camera poker table. Just like that, poker on TV went from a paint-drying, grass-growing snoozefest to a gripping, compelling battle of wits and luck.

If such a thing could be quantified, I would wager that Henry Orenstein brought more people to poker tables than any other human.

Because of him people could see Moneymaker's "great bluff" and could follow successful players around the world on the WPT. Because of him, people became interested in poker, and people learned about it.

Poker's explosion in popularity is the result of many contributing factors, from the popularity of "Rounders" to the compelling story of a Tennessee accountant to the great stories that can be found in the legends of the game, as well as the growth of the Internet and the state of the economy. But I firmly believe it was the man who showed us the hands that were being played who single-handedly did the most to usher in the poker boom.

A lot of people seem to be wondering what would be "best" for poker. I say, as long as it's broadcast, and we can see what's being played, poker'll be just fine.