Whether it was World Poker Tour on ESPN or seeing
Hollywood stars on Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown,
Texas Holdem has been spreading like wildfire among
local teens.
"Poker has been coming on ESPN lately, and maybe that
gets some attention, and I guess people are just finally
discovering the fun of it," said Henry Clay junior Pat
Creager.
Teens are quickly discovering that the fast-paced game
of Texas Holdem is much different from traditional
five-card stud.
Players are dealt two cards each, and a series of bets
are made.
The
dealer then flips three cards face-up on the table, and
there is another round of betting. The dealer flips a
fourth card face-up on the table, and after a round of
betting, flips a fifth card face-up, followed by another
round of betting.
Anyone can use the cards on the table with the two in
his hand to make a five-card poker hand. The best hand
wins.
High
schoolers are drawn to the game for several reasons.
"It's a game of strategy, and it tests the character of
a person," said Paul Laurence Dunbar junior Justin
Mattingly.
"I
think people are realizing how fun it is and want to
play it more now that they know about it," Lafayette
senior Bethany Smith said.
But
perhaps there is more to this game than meets the eye.
"It's a good chance to talk with friends, but it also
gives you something to do so that you don't just sit
around doing nothing," said Smith, who plays about once
a month.
Perhaps poker has become a new form of bonding among
teenagers. It seems that in an age of cell phones and
instant messages, sitting down and talking to one
another has become a rarity.
"It
might be just the masculine way for men to talk to each
other," Henry Clay senior Ed Joice said. "Women can just
call each other up on the phone, but men don't feel
secure enough to do that. Instead, they have to
substitute some sort of excuse, like poker, to be able
to relax and just hang out with each other."
