All in
March 9, 2007 | 12:00am
It’s funny  isn’t it?  how two words can cause such a commotion in a group of otherwise very level-headed adults sitting around a table with a deck of cards and stack of chips… (and not the potato kind, mind you!) Poker mania has indeed hit our sunny Philippine shores and people all over the metro are staying home from the clubs and opting instead for a night of what they hope will be gambling glory amidst good friends, good drinks, and good food.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about then I suggest you crawl out from under that rock you’ve been hiding beneath and see what all the fuss is about. I guarantee you won’t regret it. As for me, I’ve only recently hopped on the full (dare I say, very full) bandwagon and, since then, I’ve been enjoying the ride. Poker games actually started popping up all over the city more than two years ago and almost everyone I know has been enjoying two pairs, pockets, full houses and big blinds!
Still don’t know what I’m talking about? Well, for those of you who aren’t fully immersed in the swelling poker  playing population then I’ll quickly take you through the basics. The terms above actually refer to Texas Hold ‘Em, probably the single most popular poker game of recent years. It actually only gained acclaim a few years back when they started showing it on ESPN in the US. It wasn’t long after that the Americans began picking it up more and more and not long after that Hold ‘Em began to spread all over the world and it’s now become one of the most popular gambling games in the world  right up there with blackjack.
Hold ‘Em is actually very similar to regular poker games like seven- or five-card stud, which I used to play abundantly when I was younger. It follows the same hierarchy as regular poker (or even pusoy dos for those of you don’t play any poker at all). Basically you have a hand of five cards and the goal is to achieve the best five-card hand possible (so it’s actually more like five-card stud). It starts with a high card from the ace downwards. When no combination can be made, the round is won by the single highest card holder. Following that is a pair, also counted in order, with the highest again being from ace downwards. And then two pairs and then three of a kind or "trips," a straight (five cards of any suit in chronological order), a flush (five cards of the same suit), a full house (three of a kind and a pair together), then four of a kind (four of the same card and a kicker  any other extra card), a straight flush (five cards in chronological order of the same suit), and finally the much-coveted royal flush (a 10, jack, queen, king and ace all of the same suit).
It’s really pretty simple. It just gets complicated in the process. In Hold ‘Em you begin with two cards in your hand and you complete your five-card combination with any of the other five cards that come up on the board. Basically you just keep betting between rounds depending on how good a hand you think you can come up with when all five cards have been dealt. It begins with a betting round based on the two cards in your hand then the first three cards ("the flop") come out, another round of betting, followed by another card ("the turn"); another round of betting, and finally the final card ("the river"), followed by the final betting round. At the end of all that, the person with the best five-card hand pulls in the cumulative pot!
Admittedly there are a few more rules than that ("blinds," et al), but basically that’s pretty much it and although it may sound a bit confusing, it’s nothing that playing a few hands won’t clear up. But, if you do decide to play those few hands, be prepared to get addicted! Playing poker (and by "playing" I mean playing live with other people and not on the computer) is more than just laying down cards or winning some spare change. It becomes quite the challenge and provides endless intellectual stimulation as you seriously contemplate what to do between each hand. It’s more than just a game of luck; it’s also a game of skill and for those who enjoy trying to read other people it can become a game of psychological mind games. As Jack Black so expertly put it on Celebrity Poker: "I’m an okay player, I’m not great or anything… I can’t, like, look into your eyes and know your soul! I’m not like one of those guys who looks at the vein on your neck and is like, ‘Call!’ and you’re like, ‘I got nothing!’"
Do I sound like an addict? Maybe I am but it’s all in good fun and everyone’s just as addicted as me. Take for example another great showcase of Hold ‘Em’s popularity… the recently released Bond film Casino Royale. Hold ‘Em was the featured game in the incredible casino showdown scene, even though everyone knows that Bond prefers Baccarat.
Yup, for whatever it’s worth, Hold ‘Em is definitely getting its 15 minutes (plus at least two years’ worth and counting) of fame! And as for me, I’ve been enjoying playing a few (okay, maybe more than a few) hands of this exciting game. If you’re looking for a fun new hobby or even just something to pass the time… look no further! Just grab a few friends and a deck of cards and you’re good to go. And if you don’t feel like playing for money that’s definitely cool, too; just change that stack of poker chips for the potato kind and play for snacks instead (heck, I used to play stud with Oreos and Skittles!). After all, it’s not about winning money  it’s just about winning! (I’m kidding, of course!) Finally, just remember: in this game, as in life, the cardinal rule is, "You gotta know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em!" Have fun!
If you don’t know what I’m talking about then I suggest you crawl out from under that rock you’ve been hiding beneath and see what all the fuss is about. I guarantee you won’t regret it. As for me, I’ve only recently hopped on the full (dare I say, very full) bandwagon and, since then, I’ve been enjoying the ride. Poker games actually started popping up all over the city more than two years ago and almost everyone I know has been enjoying two pairs, pockets, full houses and big blinds!
Still don’t know what I’m talking about? Well, for those of you who aren’t fully immersed in the swelling poker  playing population then I’ll quickly take you through the basics. The terms above actually refer to Texas Hold ‘Em, probably the single most popular poker game of recent years. It actually only gained acclaim a few years back when they started showing it on ESPN in the US. It wasn’t long after that the Americans began picking it up more and more and not long after that Hold ‘Em began to spread all over the world and it’s now become one of the most popular gambling games in the world  right up there with blackjack.
Hold ‘Em is actually very similar to regular poker games like seven- or five-card stud, which I used to play abundantly when I was younger. It follows the same hierarchy as regular poker (or even pusoy dos for those of you don’t play any poker at all). Basically you have a hand of five cards and the goal is to achieve the best five-card hand possible (so it’s actually more like five-card stud). It starts with a high card from the ace downwards. When no combination can be made, the round is won by the single highest card holder. Following that is a pair, also counted in order, with the highest again being from ace downwards. And then two pairs and then three of a kind or "trips," a straight (five cards of any suit in chronological order), a flush (five cards of the same suit), a full house (three of a kind and a pair together), then four of a kind (four of the same card and a kicker  any other extra card), a straight flush (five cards in chronological order of the same suit), and finally the much-coveted royal flush (a 10, jack, queen, king and ace all of the same suit).
It’s really pretty simple. It just gets complicated in the process. In Hold ‘Em you begin with two cards in your hand and you complete your five-card combination with any of the other five cards that come up on the board. Basically you just keep betting between rounds depending on how good a hand you think you can come up with when all five cards have been dealt. It begins with a betting round based on the two cards in your hand then the first three cards ("the flop") come out, another round of betting, followed by another card ("the turn"); another round of betting, and finally the final card ("the river"), followed by the final betting round. At the end of all that, the person with the best five-card hand pulls in the cumulative pot!
Admittedly there are a few more rules than that ("blinds," et al), but basically that’s pretty much it and although it may sound a bit confusing, it’s nothing that playing a few hands won’t clear up. But, if you do decide to play those few hands, be prepared to get addicted! Playing poker (and by "playing" I mean playing live with other people and not on the computer) is more than just laying down cards or winning some spare change. It becomes quite the challenge and provides endless intellectual stimulation as you seriously contemplate what to do between each hand. It’s more than just a game of luck; it’s also a game of skill and for those who enjoy trying to read other people it can become a game of psychological mind games. As Jack Black so expertly put it on Celebrity Poker: "I’m an okay player, I’m not great or anything… I can’t, like, look into your eyes and know your soul! I’m not like one of those guys who looks at the vein on your neck and is like, ‘Call!’ and you’re like, ‘I got nothing!’"
Do I sound like an addict? Maybe I am but it’s all in good fun and everyone’s just as addicted as me. Take for example another great showcase of Hold ‘Em’s popularity… the recently released Bond film Casino Royale. Hold ‘Em was the featured game in the incredible casino showdown scene, even though everyone knows that Bond prefers Baccarat.
Yup, for whatever it’s worth, Hold ‘Em is definitely getting its 15 minutes (plus at least two years’ worth and counting) of fame! And as for me, I’ve been enjoying playing a few (okay, maybe more than a few) hands of this exciting game. If you’re looking for a fun new hobby or even just something to pass the time… look no further! Just grab a few friends and a deck of cards and you’re good to go. And if you don’t feel like playing for money that’s definitely cool, too; just change that stack of poker chips for the potato kind and play for snacks instead (heck, I used to play stud with Oreos and Skittles!). After all, it’s not about winning money  it’s just about winning! (I’m kidding, of course!) Finally, just remember: in this game, as in life, the cardinal rule is, "You gotta know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em!" Have fun!
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