It was the story of the year that spread like wildfire and called every bet on every street. Yes, our look at the poker stories of 2020 begins with what many suspected might become poker’s final chapter only for the virus to provide the game with a new beginning.

Virus Cancels Tournament Plans

It was an inevitable shock to the poker ecosystem when Coronavirus struck. One day, live tournaments were being won, the next, players were told that they would have no events to attend in person. Lockdown, when it came, threw the whole world into a COVID-19 panic, and the pandemic claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in a shockingly short space of time.

Pursuits such as poker seemed less important for a long time, but over the course of the initial lockdown, poker’s adaptation was to inspire millions around the world.