As reported by: San Mateo Daily Journal
Ever “flop the nuts?” Do the names of poker pros such as Chris Moneymaker, Phil Ivey and Johnny Chan have just as much name recognition as Joe Montana, Michael Jordan and Barry Bonds? Is the movie “Rounders” - about a college kid who makes a living playing poker - a favorite?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, you are just one of millions of people bitten by the poker bug.

Poker - specifically Texas Hold ‘Em - is taking over the nation's living rooms in more way than one. Not only has the living room traditionally been the site of many a home poker game, cable stations such as ESPN, Fox Sports and the Travel Channel beam the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour onto living room televisions around the world.

The game has moved out of smoke-filled, back-rooms into the spotlight on primetime.

“Being able to see the hole cards made all the difference,” said Tony Fletcher, 44, a poker dealer at Bay 101 in San Jose as well as a player at Lucky Chances Casino in Colma.

In Texas Hold ‘Em, each player is dealt two cards face down, called “hole” cards. Five community cards are then dealt face up. The first three cards are called “the flop,” the next card is called “fourth street” or “the turn” and the final card is “fifth street” or “the river” with bets made before each card is dealt. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. ESPN, for example, placed small cameras in the poker tables which lets television viewers see the player's hole cards. That changed the way the game was perceived. Now everyone can be an armchair quarterback.

“[Television coverage] has helped our business tremendously,” said Nick Kolich, tournament coordinator for Lucky Chances. “It's hurt because we can't get enough tables (to play on).”

The World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas is the granddaddy of poker tournaments. Having just wrapped up its 35th year, the World Series of Poker has grown in leaps and bounds.

“Just to give you an idea, in 2003 a little over 800 people signed up,” said Dawn Petrick, spokeswoman for Harrahs Entertainment, which manages the Horseshoe. “In 2004, over 2,500 people entered. In 2005, we're expecting that number to grow even further.”

Keep in mind that there is a $10,000 entrance fee.

Petrick believes the phenomenon has to do with the professional players who show up on television. Ivey and Chan are two of the best players in the world along with a dozen others.

“All the characters have completely different characteristics. It just brings a story to the game,” Petrick said. “Everyone (in the crowd) picks their favorites either because of what they heard of them or the stories they've heard about them.

“It's become very high energy. There's a lot of money at stake. To feel the vibe in the room is absolutely amazing. There's more money at stake than any other sporting event in the world.”

The winner of this year's World Series of Poker's Main Event won a cool $5 million.

Card rooms enjoying

the increased exposure

Card rooms around the Bay Area - including Lucky Chances and Artichoke Joe's in San Bruno - are definitely increasing business. Since poker is labeled a game of skill, card rooms that feature poker avoid the issue of gambling. Also, no house money is used. All players use their own money pitted against other players' money. Card rooms then take a percentage of the pot - “the drop” - to pay its expenses.

“[The exposure] is great for business. I'm a poker dealer,” said Fletcher, who played in the 2002 World Series of Poker before getting knocked out on the second day of the five-day event. “It wasn't like that before. Before, there were 50, 60 (people playing in a tournament). Now, there's 150, 160.”

Kolich, in the business for 25 years, coordinates six tournaments a week at Lucky Chances. He said “no-limit” tournaments are easier for beginners because that's the game that is featured on television. In tournaments, all players pay a certain buy-in and everyone starts with the same amount of chip. Bets of any size can be made and the ultimate winners takes home a predetermined pot.

The game's exposure is bringing in a whole new crop of players - mostly younger players and more women - which suits card rooms just fine.

“Just during the last couple of years, everyday I see new faces,” Fletcher said. “I see a lot of young kids. College kids come in all the time. There are some really good young players.”

Both Kolich and Fletcher said they can tell when new players are picking up a lot of their knowledge from watching the game on television. Both said these players use the same mannerism and even the same lingo the pros use.

With so many people flocking to card rooms, however, Kolich said the game's popularity is putting a squeeze on resources.

“We used to have a beginners' table but what we found is, it's tough for us. We don't have enough dealers and space is tight,” Kolich said. “What happens now is, players learn to play online. When they come in here, they have a basic knowledge of the game.”

Internet has big impact on the game

The other reason for Hold ‘Em's rise has been the Internet. With hundreds of poker sites to choose from, novices can learn the game and increase their confidence playing the game.

“I play on the Internet. I play a lot,” said Fletcher, a Pacifica resident. “I'd say probably 70 percent of people (in the card rooms) play online. You can play with [fake] money.”

Despite the increased sophistication of beginners, Kolich said he can still pick newcomers out. Card rooms welcome beginners because they don't want to scare them off by taking them to the cleaners.

“There are a number of players [who] are smart people. They figure the game out online. Then they have to figure out the nuances,” Kolich said. “We can tell when a player is new and we encourage them to ask questions. They have poker schools online and you got television now (to learn from).”

Despite all the knowledge players can pick up on television or the Internet, there are still things that can only be learned in the card room Kolich said. One of the things most often taught is tipping of dealers. Since dealers make only minimum wage, they depend heavily on tips. Kolich said the size of the pot determines the size of the tip. In a “structured” game - where there are minimum and maximum bets - the tip ranges from $1 to $3 or 5 to 10 percent. In tournaments, the house usually takes a certain percentage of the winnings.

Despite all the resources at their fingertips, still gets people playing who are essentially throwing away their money Fletcher said.

“You still see guys come into card room who don't have a clue,” Fletcher said. “You almost want to tell them to go buy a book (on poker playing).”

Changing poker's image

A change in the industry is stoking the poker flame Kolich said. The image of hard-living, hard-drinking, violent, cowboy and gunslinger is slowly dying off. The game is giving way to a kinder, gentler version, making the atmosphere more conducive to beginners and those looking for entertainment and not a fight.

“That's the image it used to be,” Kolich said. “What happened all at once, everything went non smoking. Then we decided we wanted a friendlier atmosphere.”

Lucky Chances is adopting a “zero tolerance” policy toward fighting and cheating, which will get you automatically ejected Kolich said. Other violations, such as swearing, will get you a warning before a player is ejected.

“I was running a tournament and this kid got up and said, ‘Nobody will f- with my chips when I'm gone?,'” Kolich said. Regulars at the club looked at Kolich, knowing that swearing is not tolerated.

“I looked at him at said, ‘No one will MESS with your chips,'” Kolich said. “He just thought that was the way you acted. We want to keep the historic spirit of poker alive but some of the other stuff we're trying to get rid of. There's still plenty of room for bantering and personality at the table.”