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Purdue
students join poker games in hopes of winning some
extra cash. |
Editor's Note: In the State of Indiana, a person who
knowingly engages in social gambling is committing a
Class B misdemeanor. The Exponent has thus changed the
names of the people in this article for their
protection.
Tyler Quinn waits for his cards.
Red, white and blue chips sit in stacks around the
perimeter of the kitchen table. A couple others arrange
their investments into neat towers.
Quinn, a senior in the School of Management, makes his
purpose known: "All I know is this poker game decides
the fate of my weekend," he said.
Cards go round and the quest for spending money begins.
Such is the scene in apartments, fraternities and dorm
rooms all over campus and all over the country. Though
poker has always been a way to socialize, pass time and
make some cash, the recent success of shows like "The
World Series of Poker" on ESPN, "World Poker Tour" on
the Travel Channel and "Celebrity Poker Showdown" on
Bravo has brought the game to a much wider audience.
Greg Roberts, a senior in the School of Mechanical
Engineering, didn't play much until last year. Now he
attends games three or more times a week.
"It happens all too often," he says. "Too many times I
should be studying."
Many describe the love of the game as an addiction,
although none of the nine players on this random
Wednesday appears to be a candidate for Gamblers
Anonymous.
The players are friends - fraternity brothers - so
between hands or when someone folds, the conversation
turns to the topics friends discuss, like the Cubs game
that's on in the background, the new Katie Holmes movie
and the best players of television poker.
But during a hand, there's an air of seriousness,
punctuated by expressionless faces and debates on
betting strategy. A year or two ago, bets of dimes and
quarters were just a way to keep track of progress.
Tonight, most buy in with $10 or $15, some with more.
Although some poker enthusiasts play for survival (or to
fund a weekend road trip), most of the time winning is
an unexpected plus, not a devastating loss.
"I'm not going out (tonight). Well, I might go out. It
depends if I win," Roberts says.
The game's only 15 minutes old and someone's already
gone out. He hands over another bill that's filed away
in a metallic-looking case containing the unused chips.
More than $140 remains to be claimed.
Mike O'Connell, a senior in the School of Technology,
said the money usually doesn't get out of control in
these games. He never plays unless he has the cash up
front.
"We're all white boys from the suburbs; we've got money
to burn," says O'Connell, who insists his friends call
him "Read 'Em and Weep."
Like O'Connell and this group, Nate Benedict, a senior
in the School of Consumer and Family Sciences, prefers
Texas Hold'Em to other forms of poker.
The game has more bets; plus, it's the most commonly
played game on TV, so it's the most familiar.
"It's so easy now to find people who want to play,"
Benedict said.
And not only is entertainment encouraging play, but the
increased attention on the game has sparked a renewed
interest in movies like "Rounders," "Ocean's Eleven,"
and "Maverick."
Benedict's played online poker as well and knows a few
people who';ve lost more than $1,000. He prefers the
face-to-face interaction of games at his house. Those
small gatherings expanded to include a monthly
tournament that draws between 10 and 40 participants.
"We like playing with a lot of people at multiple
tables," he said.
Since the summer, the frequency and length of play have
dwindled, but he still plays between two and five times
a week.
"(In summer) there were a few when we'd see the sun come
up at five or six in the morning."
At Benedict's house, all skill levels are welcome,
although he and his friends are "better than most
people."
The determiner of skill: judging the situation, or well,
knowing when to hold 'em, knowing when to fold 'em.
Carlos Fernandez, manager of The Game Preserve in Wabash
Landing, said the game rises to a new level when skill
and luck converge.
"If you win at poker, you feel good about yourself."
Since the recent surge of interest, Fernandez has seen
sales of poker-related items triple.
"It's been absolutely through the roof," he said. "It's
a poker renaissance."
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