October 2: Hold 'em or fold' 'em
Thursday October 2
It's pretty much obligatory when writing about poker to make some
sort of reference to the legendary lyrics of
The Gambler by Kenny Rogers
so I'll
get it out of the way early so we can all move on.
It's certainly true that, in poker, it helps very considerably if you know "when to hold 'em" and indeed "when to fold 'em".
And it's also pretty important to know when "the dealin's done". You would, after all, look pretty childish demanding the dealer give you more cards when the laws of the game clearly state that the dishing out of cards has been completed.
Of course, K-Rog may well have been using the world's finest card game as a metaphor for the travails of life's many and varied paths. Or maybe he was just swept up in an earlier version of the poker craze that has raged for the past half decade.
However you slice it, a fair chunk of the planet's population has gone totally nuts for Texas Hold 'em. What was once a slightly seedy, grubby pastime has gone mainstream beyond belief. Pub leagues and home games abound. Casinos are welcoming the man on the street as much as the high roller. Hollywood celebs like Ben Affleck, Shannon Elizabeth, Toby Maguire and Jennifer Tilly are never far from the felt.
The reason for this surge? Well partly, our old friend television (top-class poker played for insane amounts of money makes for compelling viewing and memorable commentary. Check out this nosebleed hand for example. That's real money they're playing for!)
But also, crucially, our new friend the internet. Anyone with a connection can play poker online any time for any stakes against US college students, German office workers, Chinese shopkeepers, Brazillian pig farmers, and the bloke down the road. As you read this there will be about half a million people online playing right now.
How do you play Texas Hold 'Em? Here's my quick(ish) description of the game. Or if you'd rather see it in action then watch this tutorial.
Despite an enthusiastic base of followers, the poker madness has been a little slow reaching fever pitch in New Zealand. But signs of life are out there.
From October 4th-12th the Sky City Festival of Poker takes place in Auckland. A collection of poker tournaments, seminars, and celebrity tournaments, it has at its heart a main event that will see over 300 players from around the globe, including some ex-World Champions, stumping up $3000 each in cash to participate. The tournament is part of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour, making its first ever stop in NZ, and the organisers are hoping that they'll be able to build up a whopping $1million prize pool.
And I want a piece of it! It's my dream to play in one of these tournaments but unfortunately my feeble bankroll (designated cash for playing poker with) and frankly feeble poker skills, aren't quite up to the task.
Still, I'm giving it a crack. I've already failed to make an impression in a couple of cheap qualifier events at the online site Poker Stars and I've got a couple more dates in the diary before the main event kicks off, including entry to the media and celebrity event on Tuesday October 7.
Can I win the big one? Certainly not. Can I win entry to the big one (my just about, ever-so-slightly realistic target)? Maybe just. One of the joys of poker is that anyone can win on any given day. I'll let you know how it goes!
The Sky City Festival of Poker takes place Oct 4-12 at the Sky City Casino in Auckland.
