It's popping up everywhere. It's in bars,
movies, television, online and your neighbors
garage and, now, it's in your newspaper. The
game of poker is a form of gambling that's been
catching on faster than the flu.
There are currently several shows
dedicated to the game, including the televised
World Poker Tour, Celebrity Poker, and The World
Series of Poker, which gave former champion
Chris Moneymaker his fame. The shows give
amateur poker players the chance to pick up new
skills and techniques by featuring the worlds
top professional players. The shows have also
raised more interest in the game.
There are multiple versions of poker that
are available. There's always the infamous
"strip poker," but the game can also be played
with or without limits on bets, or lowball
style, where the lowest hand wins. Texas Holdem
is the most popular version of the game, and the
style that is played in most tournaments. One of
the great things about poker is anyone can play,
just about anywhere. Many college students are
developing their own weekly poker nights to
spend time with friends and make some money
while they're at it.
Sacramento State junior, Jason Boggs, has
been playing poker for a while, and started
weekly poker nights with his friends over a year
ago.
"I started playing poker, like, three
years ago," Boggs said, "but recently it has
gotten big." Their games draw anywhere between
five and 20 people, usually guys, but anyone is
welcome to join.
Rick Mizuno, a Sac State senior, attends
the poker nights regularly. The great thing
about poker is that anyone can play," Mizuno
said. "You don't have to be athletic or even
have a college degree, you just need 10 bucks to
buy in."
Former TKE, Andy Strahl, is a card dealer
at the popular bar, The Limelight which hosts
open tables Tuesday through Saturday from 8 p.m.
to 2 a.m. "In the last five months, the turnout
for poker has tripled," Strahl said. The
Limelight features three card tables, which each
seat about nine players, plus the dealer.
Poker continues to be more popular among
men than women, although the ladies' interest is
on the rise. The Limelight sees an average ratio
of ten guys to every one girl that plays.
Heather Gwinup, a relatively new poker
enthusiast, has no problem with this. "Men play
more hands against me because they think I can't
play. They keep a hand they would normally throw
out to see what my skill level is," Gwinup said.
She and her husband play poker two to three
times a week and, in the last two months, she's
won over $1500 from the table game.
"I started to play because I realized that
if I didn't, I would be a poker widow," Gwinup
said, joking about losing her husband to the
game. She goes to The Limelight to make money
and spend time with her husband.
"Men get distracted when a woman is at the
table," Gwinup said, and, by the numbers, it
works to her advantage.
"[I think] poker has become popular
because it's easy to learn and you can always
find a game," Strahl said.
It's also a relatively friendly game. At
The Limelight, the list of rules to play is
posted on the wall next to the entrance of the
back room. Only graceful English (that means no
cussing), only one person per hand, no
criticizing other players, and no exposing cards
are allowed while the game is in progress. Also,
no throwing cards, no passing chips, and many
more, meant to make the whole experience safe,
fun and in order. For beginners, The Limelight
offers no bet poker on Tuesday and Wednesday
nights.
The bottom line according to Andy Strahl:
"Poker is a gambling game you have control over.
If you don't have a good hand, you don't have to
play. You can play aggressively if it suits you,
or you can just be passive and let the cards do
the work."
