TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER

When people gathered around a poker table, arguments used to erupt over what variation of the gambling game should be played, but now there is only one god of poker, and its name is Texas Holdem.

In dorms, fraternity houses and Knox Boxes, people are gathering around the poker tables several times a week and ponying up cash for a chance at doubling their beer money.

"It's a nice chance for guys to hang out, relax and shoot the s---," said Ben Supowit, a senior accounting major.

Texas Holdem has enjoyed something of a renaissance lately, aided by the popularity of the movie Rounders, and ESPN's airing of the World Series of Poker, the granddaddy of poker tournaments.

Since ESPN began televising the $2.5 million tournament, students have been flocking to the table to try their hand at the game.

"People watch the tournament and think they know how to play just because they watched the tournament two or three times," said Justin Berlin, a senior sociology major who has been playing since high school.

Back then, he said, it was hard to find people who knew how to play the game. Now it seems they're everywhere.

For those who don't have the $10,000 buy-in for the World Series, though, a plethora of tournaments are popping up on campuses across the country, as well as here at the university. Jewish student group Hillel recently held a charity Holdem tournament that drew more than 100 people.

Online gaming has also contributed to the recent success of Texas Holdem. Websites such as CollegePokerChampionship and PartyPoker offer students a chance to play poker when there isn't a group of people handy.

Sophomore journalism major Mike Mulhern said he plays two or three times a week, many times online.

"I play more high stakes online," he said. "I like live better, though, because you can read your opponents."

More and more games, online or live, are turning exclusively to Texas Holdem.

Berlin said the game's allure lies in its ability to satisfy each of the different aspects of poker.

"It's the purest game. ... It involves all skills - betting, reading people, knowing when to check or when to fold," he said, explaining why the game has been referred to as the Cadillac of pokers.

"It's a great game because the rules are so simple," Supowit said. "It's so easy to learn but so difficult to master."

Holdem derives its name from the style of play, which allows for four different rounds of betting, making it hard to stay in and hold your cards through the end of the game.

"I play that I'll usually stay in hands other people would drop out of, and it usually ends up working out for me," Berlin said.

Berlin said he used to play every day, mostly online, and claims he racked up almost $20,000 playing in online casinos.

Although he said he has since cut down on his gambling, many people still find their way to the table a few times a week.

Stakes usually run between a quarter ante - the initial bet - to two dollars, and although large stakes don't usually exchange hands, Supowit said people will usually win or lose up to $50 a game.

"That's lunch for three or four days," Berlin said.

Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, believes college students are more susceptible to gambling problems than other age groups.

"People from 18 to 24 have higher rates for mental health and substance abuse problems, and it puts them at higher risk for having gambling problems," he said. "They have access to time, money and the Internet. Opportunities are hugely popular."

Whyte said even charity tournaments can be a problem.

"It's just like a charity chugging contest," he said. "Who gets the profits or who sponsors the game is less important or relevant."

Berlin disagreed.

"If someone has an addictive personality, if they're not addicted to gambling, they are going to be addicted to something else," he said.

But for Mulhern, it's all about trying to stay in the game for as long as possible.