Shan, a masseur,
works on the back of a card player during the World Series of Poker
Monday, in Las Vegas. This is the final week of the tournament and
the winner is expected to take home $5 million.
Poker Games
Five-card draw: This is the
basic poker game. Players are dealt five cards down. There is a
betting round, after which players can get rid of up to three
cards. Another round of betting takes place before players show
their cards.
Five-card stud: A player is dealt one
card up and one card down. Betting begins after the deal, and
continues after each deal. Players get one face card up except for
the last card, which is dealt face down. Players then show their
cards.
Baseball: Seven cards are dealt: The
first two are dealt face down, the third face up. Threes and nines
are wild, and if a four is dealt, the players' next card is dealt
face down. Players get cards dealt face up, followed by betting,
until the last card, which is dealt face down. Players then show
their cards.
Texas HoldEm:
Two players, to the left of the
dealer, put out a predetermined amount of money into the pot. Each
player is dealt two cards face down, called hole, or pocket cards.
The remainder of the players bet, and can check, raise or fold.
The dealer discards the top card, then flips the next three cards
face up on the table, cards that can be used by anyone in their
hand. Another round of betting commences. The dealer discards the
card on the top and flips one more onto the table. There's another
round of betting, another card from the top is discarded, and a
final card is put, face up, on the table. Players can use any of
the cards in their pocket or on the table to form their hand.
Another round of betting takes place, and cards are finally shown.
The person with the best hand wins.
texas-holdem-online-poker.com
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Louise Yerrington has played poker at Foxwoods since the casino opened
in 1992. She likes it because it gives seniors something to do.
Lately, though, the
gray hairs in the room have been replaced by a younger generation, who
she enjoys playing with, even as they amuse her.
"They think
they're pros," said Yerrington, a retired coordinator for the state
health department who lives in Preston.
"I played against
one the other day. He had a toothpick hanging out of his mouth" -- here
she makes an imitation of someone peering at card non-chalantly. "The
young people think they can beat us, because we're old."
The influx of new
poker players mirrors a trend across the nation. Since the World Poker
Tournament was first televised in February 2003, interest in the card
game has increased substantially, particularly in the Texas HoldEm
format that dominates most games.
Foxwoods has
increased the number of poker tables from 58 to 81 in the last year,
said Kathy Raymond, director of poker operations at the casino, in order
to keep up with business that has grown 60 to 80 percent over 2003.
"I think it's
probably the fastest growth that's been experienced," she said. "Not
only the growth, but the changeover, the mix of patrons, has been
dramatic. I don't see it anywhere else."
Poker has drawn a
larger group of younger people, particularly females, to the table
games, said Raymond.
Doug Riquier, a
co-owner of T & M Distributors in Willimantic, said numerous poker
items, from cards to felt overlays for particular games, have been
selling. The most popular items, though, are high-quality chips.
"They've always
sold, because not too many people carry the quality ones," he said. "But
they've been selling twice to three times as much in the last six
months."
Patrick Flory, owner
of the Citadel in Groton, said there had always been a steady demand for
game material, particularly among dealers at the casinos who need to
learn deal cards and shuffling chips. Poker items, though, make up a
small portion of his business.
"We've had a demand
for this sort of thing," he said. "It's not a big part of our sales.
Maybe 15 to 20 percent of our stuff, not even that. But there has been a
growth relative to what it's been."
The older crowd at
the casino still prefers stud games. Emanuel Shluger, a "99 percent
retired" attorney from East Lyme, play seven-card stud and generally
avoids Texas HoldEm. He doesn't find the youngsters he plays with
experienced.
"It's hard to be
experienced when you're 20 years old," he said.
But both Shluger and
Yerrington say they play to stay active and meet other people.
"You meet nice
people in the lower stakes," Yerrington said. "In the higher stakes, it
gets a little more tense."
Since the casino
opened in 1992. She likes it because it gives seniors something to do.
Lately, though, the
gray hairs in the room have been replaced by a younger generation, who
she enjoys playing with, even as they amuse her.
"They think they're
pros," sad Yerrington, a retired coordinator for the state health
department who lives in Preston. "I played against one the other day. He
had a toothpick hanging out of his mouth" -- here she makes an imitation
of someone peering at card non-chalantly. "The young people think they
can beat us, because we're old."
The influx of new
poker players mirrors a trend across the nation. Since the World Poker
Tournament was first televised in February, 2003, interest in the card
game has increased substantially, particularly in the Texas HoldEm that
dominates most games.
Foxwoods has
increased the number of poker tables from 58 to 81 in the last year,
said Kathy Raymond, director of poker operations at the casino, in order
to keep up with business that has grown 60 to 80 percent over 2003.
"I think it's
probably the fastest growth that's been experienced," she said. "Not
only the growth, but the changeover, the mix of patrons, has been
dramatic. I don't see it anywhere else."
Poker has drawn a
larger group of younger people, particularly females, to the table
games, said Raymond, many of whom want to play the Texas HoldEm version
of the sport.
Doug Riquier, a
co-owner of T & M Distributors in Willimantic, said numerous poker
items, from cards to felt overlays for particular games, have been
selling. The most popular items, though, are high-quality chips.
"They've always
sold, because not too many people carry the quality ones," he said. "But
they've been selling twice to three times as much in the last six
months."
Patrick Flory, owner
of the Citadel in Groton, said there had always been a steady demand for
game material, particularly among dealers at the casinos who need to
learn deal cards and shuffling chips. Poker items, though, make up a
small portion of his business.
"We've had a demand
for this sort of thing," he said. "It's not a big part of our sales.
Maybe 15 to 20 percent of our stuff, not even that. But there has been a
growth relative to what it's been."
The older crowd at
the casino still prefers stud games. Emanuel Shluger, a "99 percent
retired" attorney from East Lyme, play seven card stud and generally
avoids Texas HoldEm. He doesn't find the youngsters he plays with
experienced.
"It's hard to be
experienced when you're 20 years old," he said.
But both Shluger and
Yerrington say they play to stay active and meet other people.
"You meet nice
people in the lower stakes," Yerrington said. "In the higher stakes, it
gets a little more tense."
