|
While in Las
Vegas last month, I stumbled into the Binion's Horseshoe Casino in the "old
strip" of the city.
While there, I witnessed America's hottest pop craze in action: Hundreds of
gamblers watching a Texas HoldEm no-limit poker tournament. It was so
crowded, most onlookers couldn't even see the players, let alone the "flop"
cards, "the turn," or "the river."
They simply
wanted to "be there," and be able to brag about it later to their weekly
poker buddies.
Ever since last year's World Series of Poker, when a Cinderella-story
accountant from Tennessee named Chris -- ahem -- Moneymaker became America's
poker prince by winning $2.5 million, poker has become hotter than a
red-hot, well, poker.
This past Friday, America's newest poker czar took Moneymaker's place while
competing against 2,500 other gamblers at the 35th annual World Series of
Poker at Binion's. Top prize: a record $5 million. (At the writing of this
column, the winner is not known.)
Some poker experts have said Moneymaker's long-odds accomplishment gave the
game its single-biggest impact in history. And maybe they're right.
The major draw of Hold 'Em is its everyman's appeal. You don't have to be a
professional gambler to play. Plus, you typically play against other
players, not "the house," like with most other casino games.
In no-limit HoldEm, players can bet all their chips at any time, on every
turn of a card, whether it's a bold-faced bluff or not. (That's where the
sunglasses come in.)
In this region, Texas HoldEm has boarded two local casino boats -- Trump in
Gary and Harrah's in East Chicago. Both offer regular games and tournaments.
(Surprisingly, the local Binion Horseshoe casino in Hammond doesn't offer
the game.)
Trump offers weekly tournaments on Wednesdays, and Harrah's offers them on
Thursdays. Typically, the "blinds," or initial betting antes, for these
games range from $4 and $8 on up.
(In Vegas, my wife and I played a 3 a.m. HoldEm game with $2 and $4 blinds
-- much more our speed -- at the Flamingo.)
At Harrah's in East Chicago, which offers weekly tournaments on Thursdays, a
new no-limit "Free Roll" tournament is scheduled for July 29 for 60 players.
The prize pool is already at $9,000 and growing every day, with top dog
taking 40 percent.
During the weekly games, players qualify for a chance to play in the July 29
tournament by getting a full house or better. These players can then
contribute to the "Bad Beat" fund, built from players who add $1 to the
jackpot for each hand of at least $30.
HoldEm tip number one: Don't think it's all about skill and strategy.
Lady Luck flirts with every player before eventually dumping them. Just ask
Moneymaker, who lasted only three hours in this year's tournament. |
