Poker craze seems to be over.

 All the poker craze seems gone.

The global poker industry seems to have achieved every possible inside straight and long-shot flush, as well as a rare full house, which has led to a huge pot of cash.

The industry is losing its luck as boxes of chips, cards, and poker-themed TV shows get fewer viewers, as well as shares in a stock market slump that has been linked to poker.

Poker has become a national obsession.

American Gaming Association reported that poker has been a popular game of skill in 2004, with New Jersey and Nevada casinos generating $152million in revenue, an increase of 45 percent over the year before. These two states are the only ones to track poker revenue.

But there are signs of waning interest among certain demographic groups that fueled this craze.

It's a pop fad," says Bill Thompson, author and professor of administration at the University of Nevada. "Fads pass."

His local Walgreen Co. used to display poker sets prominently, but they have now been moved further back in the store, he stated.

"It could be reducing down on the niche market, who would be people in 20s, macho man type of people," he stated. "Parents won't be looking for little sets."

Sean McGowan from Harris Nesbit, an analyst, stated that Toys "R" Us had a boom in poker chips sales during the Christmas season. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp., and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. now deeply discount the sets in order to get them off the shelves.

McGowan explained that the people most interested in it went out and done it already. He also noted that his school-aged son who was once obsessed with the game has stopped playing. "He doesn't even talk to it."

In recent years, ratings for tournaments and poker shows that mainstream sports networks like ESPN had rushed to televise aren't growing as rapidly. Experts Predict Online Poker Will Become Especially Popular This Year