Indeed, a game once viewed as roguish has permeated the
most unlikely pockets of society, from games squeezed in
before the school bell rings to families hunched over
computers after dinner. Now historical societies, Rotary
clubs, youth sports leagues, and high school boosters
are all betting on its faddish popularity, hosting poker
nights in lieu of the traditional crafts show or car
wash.
The
trend is not without critics. Some say that poker night
at the local community center glorifies the game - in a
way that could lead to gambling addictions, especially
among the youngest and most impressionable.
Yet
for many others, it's just one more sign that gambling
has become part of the fabric of daily life. An
overwhelming majority of Americans have stuffed coins
into slot machines or rolled dice at least once in their
lives. And when it comes to poker, supporters say the
game is unfairly demonized, given that it requires
patience, concentration, and cunning.
"The
reputation used to be [one of] backroom cheaters, of a
dirty game," says Bill Thompson, a professor of public
administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
But over the years, with the exposure it has gotten in
mainstream society, "it's been sanitized a bit."
A man's ritual - now for charity
At a
bingo hall in Laconia, N.H., one recent evening, 49
players gathered for a game of Texas HoldEm, the form of
poker most popular on TV. Some players covered their
eyes (and bluffs) with sunglasses. Proceeds were for the
American Classic Arcade Museum, to build a new space for
restoration work and seminars.
While gambling is generally illegal in New Hampshire,
aside from the state lottery, nonprofits can hold up to
10 poker games per year, says Art Phillips, the event's
organizer. Laws on poker and charity gambling vary from
state to state.
Mr.
Phillips has owned Casino Game Rental since 2001 and
says demand has tripled in the past three years. He sets
up about three events a week in New Hampshire and
Vermont.
The
Texas HoldEm game is still a man's ritual to some
degree, he says - 90 percent of participants are male -
but women are increasingly joining the craze.
Ed
Batchelder, dressed in jeans and crocodile boots, folded
his hands over his chest and growled during a tense
moment in the game. But he explained later that he'd
come to relax. Growing up on his family's farm - with 10
siblings and little money - the kids played cards for
fun. His first game of poker was at age 10.
Before charities began hosting poker nights he'd play
weekly games with his friends and family. "I like
playing strangers. Strangers can't read you," he says.
Besides, he adds, this is all for a good cause.
Profits, skill, and the dirty 'g'
word
To
some, charities' acceptance of profits from games of
chance raises philosophical questions about role
modeling. "Parents and sponsors seem to be unaware that
there is a health risk here," says Keith Whyte,
executive director of the National Council on Problem
Gambling.
But
the appeal is clear: Proceeds for nonprofits can range
from $6,000 to $12,000, says Phillips. "That's a lot
better than selling candy bars," he says. "You have to
wash a lot of cars for that kind of money."
Brendan Smith, who volunteered for the American Classic
Arcade Museum event, also helped the Lake Winnipesauke
Historical Society run ten tournaments earlier this
summer to raise funds for a new roof. He doesn't play
poker. "Personally it's not really my cup of tea," he
says. And he admits that "some people shy away from the
"gambling" word.
In the time of kings and queens
Poker's origins are believed to be in Persia, Germany,
and France, with the first playing cards coming to the
New World via Christopher Columbus. In the US, it
drifted its way along the Mississippi River in various
forms and reached the West Coast with the onset of the
Gold Rush.
Movies have glorified the game, from "The Sting" to "Rounders."
Texas HoldEm Poker received a new burst of attention
with reality shows like the Travel Channel's "World
Poker Tour." Chris Moneymaker's win of $2.5 million at
the "World Series of Poker" on ESPN last year added to
the popularity.
Technology has also played a role: On television,
cameras are often set at each table, allowing viewers to
see the cards players are holding, adding to the drama
of the game.
"Now
everyone wants to win," says Stanley Sludikoff, editor
and publisher of Poker Player newspaper in California.
Participation in the "World Series of Poker" tripled
between 2003 to 2004, to over 2,500 players.
If
the market for poker on TV has grown, it's not at the
expense of other games, says Mr. Thompson. Slot machines
and Black Jack still reign in the casino. But in
American homes - with the number of online poker rooms
exceeding 200, according to pokerpulse.com - poker is
leading a trend.
Part
of the allure of the game of Texas HoldEm, say many
players, is that it demands practice and skill, from
reading others' faces and gestures to tests of strategy.
But
that's exactly what gambling critics point to when
speaking out against Texas HoldEm poker: The quest for
mastery leads to compulsive playing, says Mr. Whyte.
They also voice concern about the number of teens
gambling today. According to a 2003 survey by the
University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy
Center, more than 50 percent of young people from age 14
to 22 gamble at least once a month.
Thompson sees gambling as a fine recreational activity,
but not in excess. He says charity nights for gambling
are acceptable in moderation, but may send a mixed
message. Advocates claim the money goes to good causes,
like education - yet to Thompson, "they are introducing
a value very much against education: that to get ahead
in life, you roll the dice."
