Know When to Hold 'Em

I must admit that I watch poker on television any time that it's on. I am one of those people who have added to the dramatic rise in televised poker popularity.

Though I'm hardly the disposition to be a poker player, as you don't see many quiet, unassuming, five-years-too-late-on-the-geek-chic type players at many final tables. Though there is something very sexy about poker.

When I see a professional hockey player, soccer, or basketball player on television I think to myself: "I will never be as good as he at that sport." There are no ifs, no maybes, no questions; it's a lock that I will never slam dunk a basketball, or take a penalty shot at Maple Leaf Gardens (actually I have done that, but that's another story). It's sad too when you realize that you're too old to be a professional athlete and that your childhood dreams are gone. Golf is a sport that defies age, and so I do still have dreams of making the senior tour, but as each summer passes with my two visits to the course I am seeing that dream fade also.

I think that most people see poker as a place of endless possibilities. In the metrosexual way of a man wanting to be another man, we watch the World Poker Tour and we all think: "That could be me. I wish that was me. Why can't that be me? It can be me."

I haven't dipped into online poker. I play free tournaments online, but I haven't spent money I don't have on those sights. I can't justify it to myself when money is so tight. Maybe someday. Actually, I came second in a freeroll tournament a couple of weeks ago. There were 2250 entrants and after 4 hours I went into the final table with a 6 to one chip lead, but blew it. I won $3 for all that work finishing second (first was only $5).

I spent yesterday evening at a bar playing a free tournament as part of the Pirana Poker Tour. It's basically a poker night among strangers. There was a 42 person tournament last night, and for the price of two Guinness (or is it Guinnii?) I spent three hours playing poker. It, surprisingly, was a lot of fun. I didn't have a persona schtick, but I played decent hands, and played my conservative style. I ended up at the final table but was short stacked and finished seventh.

I had to make a move and with pocket 8s and the flop 4,5,5 I pushed all in ($8800). I had two callers so the pot was huge (close to $30000). They were on flush draws and had nothing (no one had the five so I was confident) and I was looking good. The turn came 5 so I had a full house. There was only one card that could beat me on the river and it came: 5. I was outkicked by a Jack, and lost. Oh well, I played it right but was beaten.

I suppose that that's the appeal of poker: anyone can get lucky. It doesn't matter how strong your hand is or how many tournaments you've won, or how many fancy cars your winnings have bought you, it still come down to cards and to luck. I can win if I get lucky and I sometimes get lucky and win.

Poker's popularity is very strange. A fad is usually something new, but poker's been around forever and it's recent popularity separates it from Beanie Babies, and Reality TV (who would have thought that one would have lasted as long as it has?). People will always play poker with their buddies on a Saturday night.

I played with my buddies during university. We used to use pennies as chips, but now everyone has their own set of clay chips. I wonder it that kind of commercialization might be the kiss of death for poker. There comes a point where people just get sick and tired of hearing the ads and the hype, and generally being pelted with marketing. I get that way with movies and I have resolved never to see Titanic because one day I had just had enough of people telling me I had to see it.

People will get that way with poker. After buying the chips and the felt table covers and the Bee cards; people will get bored. All those fools who lose hundreds of dollars online will get wise and decide that they can't become a poker cult hero. They'll give up their dreams of playing with Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, and Doyle Brunson. They'll realize that even though they want to be good at poker, they just can't do it. They will pack up their stainless steel poker chip cases and let them collect dust under the bed along with their SCUBA equipment and "Big Brother" DVD sets.

I had fun last night playing poker. I knocked out a lot of players and that felt good. I got lucky, and unlucky, but I guess the point is that I had fun. It was a free tournament against strangers who purport to be decent players. I'm not a decent player, but I'm not losing any money either.