Make your game face your poker face
Poker's more than a game...its a sport
Joe O’Connell
Date created: 9/12/05 Section: SPORTS
Yes, it's not a bad dream anymore, school really has begun and summer is now just a fading memory. But don't lose all hope; you can still find fun and exciting activities to do in between your stressful college schedule. This article, which will run biweekly, will give you various ideas for activities and sports to break up the monotony of the school year. The sport that will be covered in this first article is the poker game No Limit Texas Hold'em.
Now surely a great number of you are scoffing and asking "How in the heck is poker considered a sport?" Recently on a televised poker tournament a player who had been holding back his bowls for a long period of time, jumped from his seat mid hand and sprinted to the bathroom all the while hurdling over ropes and other barriers. The announcers had a good laugh and said "Maybe he's running to show the world that poker is a legitimate sport." Despite the humor from the advocates, poker is considered a sport, not a traditional physical sport like football, or baseball, it is a sport in the sense that it requires a great deal of stamina and mental fortitude to play for any extended period of time. In some big tournaments participants may have to play 12 hours a day for a solid week, which can be mentally and physically grueling.
For those who are still interested now is the time to lay the rules on you. For those who haven't played before and want to give it a try, pick up some cards and poker chips and get started. First, the group of players picks a person to be the dealer and that player deals two cards face down to each player starting from the left of the dealer. The players leave their cards face down and check them out; this is followed by a round of betting. Next the dealer burns one card from the top of the deck (leaves it face down on the table) and flips three cards face up which are community cards. This is called the "flop" which is followed by another round of betting. After the betting is over the dealer burns a card and deals another face up; this is the "turn". Another round of betting ensues. Finally the dealer burns another card and deals the last community card which is called the "river". The last round of betting takes place and whichever players are still playing the hand flip their two cards over. The object of the game is to take the two cards dealt to you and the community cards and try to make the best 5 card poker hand. In the order of best hands high card (Ace high), pair, two pair, straight (five consecutive cards ie 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), flush (five cards of the same suit), full house (pair and three of a kind), straight flush, four of a kind, and the illusive royal flush (10, jack, queen, king, ace of the same suit).
Now surely a great number of you are scoffing and asking "How in the heck is poker considered a sport?" Recently on a televised poker tournament a player who had been holding back his bowls for a long period of time, jumped from his seat mid hand and sprinted to the bathroom all the while hurdling over ropes and other barriers. The announcers had a good laugh and said "Maybe he's running to show the world that poker is a legitimate sport." Despite the humor from the advocates, poker is considered a sport, not a traditional physical sport like football, or baseball, it is a sport in the sense that it requires a great deal of stamina and mental fortitude to play for any extended period of time. In some big tournaments participants may have to play 12 hours a day for a solid week, which can be mentally and physically grueling.
For those who are still interested now is the time to lay the rules on you. For those who haven't played before and want to give it a try, pick up some cards and poker chips and get started. First, the group of players picks a person to be the dealer and that player deals two cards face down to each player starting from the left of the dealer. The players leave their cards face down and check them out; this is followed by a round of betting. Next the dealer burns one card from the top of the deck (leaves it face down on the table) and flips three cards face up which are community cards. This is called the "flop" which is followed by another round of betting. After the betting is over the dealer burns a card and deals another face up; this is the "turn". Another round of betting ensues. Finally the dealer burns another card and deals the last community card which is called the "river". The last round of betting takes place and whichever players are still playing the hand flip their two cards over. The object of the game is to take the two cards dealt to you and the community cards and try to make the best 5 card poker hand. In the order of best hands high card (Ace high), pair, two pair, straight (five consecutive cards ie 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), flush (five cards of the same suit), full house (pair and three of a kind), straight flush, four of a kind, and the illusive royal flush (10, jack, queen, king, ace of the same suit).
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