No Limit Texas Hold'em has been everywhere. And isn't it fitting that America, a compulsive gambling nation, grabs hold of this fast-paced, high-stakes game?
When playing it, knees tremble and hearts pound. When watching it, observers claim themselves to be nothing less than professionals. When you sleep it, well, that's when you just might have a problem.
No Limit Texas Hold'em has been everywhere. And isn't it fitting that America, a compulsive gambling nation, grabs hold of this fast-paced, high-stakes game? This nation, where every citizen's dream is to get rich quick, has indeed found the perfect game.
The no-limit idea suits the needs of the United States where corporations (i.e. Microsoft, H.P.) buy each other out in pursuit of all the marbles, a single monopoly. Fittingly enough, the no-limit theory shows the idea that all chips can be strategically risked in pursue of eliminating a single foe. It's not just the fast-paced, adrenaline-stoked game that has brought poker past the brink of a complete outburst - it's the jargon.
advertisement
Party Poker
The biggest online poker room with thousands of players.
Choose one of the following games:
Texas Holdem Poker, Omaha Poker, Omaha Hi,
Seven Card Stud, Stud 8 or Better.
Receive a 20% bonus of your first deposit up to a $100!!!
Party Poker
None other than colorful catch phrases (and great hands) such as "big-slick," "cowboys" and "pocket-rockets" have caught on to the appeal of the public. These phrases and many others have clingingly latched on to the vocabulary of millions and become everyday phrases.
Poker is not just a money-making craze, either. It is a link to friendship, a conversation starter or a reason to argue. It's normal to find a "poker freak" bragging about his "boat" (full-house), taking down three-of-a-kind en-route to raking in a big pot. How ordinary is it to find the guy who won't stop talking about his devastating loss when his adversary picked up the flush on the "river?"
Poker is the new American game, paralleling with baseball. In both, there seem to be fan favorites and superstars. Names like Phil Helmuth, Scotty Nguyen and Dan Harrington are becoming as recognizable and adored as Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. and Roger Clemens.
It was only a matter of time before this rocket lifted off the ground, and believe me, the sky doesn't even begin to put in perspective this game's potential. And who other than the worldwide leader in sports, ESPN, to not only grasp this game, but to force-feed it down our throats. But who's complaining?
It wasn't as if much of the nation didn't already make their yearly trips to the casinos, this was just what everyone needed - something to remind them how inner-electrifying gambling can really be. Geez, when emotions run faster than Indy cars when just watching the game, playing the game seems unbearable to resist.
Sin City should be filling the pockets of ESPN for everything they are doing for the game.
The yearly broadcast of the World Series of Poker is held at Binion's Casino in Las Vegas and hosted by ESPN. Poker fiends find themselves addicted to the screen. Lon McEachern and Norman Chad, official commentators of the World Series, have become a necessity. Their vivid commentary does more than sparkle every dealt hand, it brings each and every one alive.
With the entry to the event being open, any average Joe can ante up the pretty-penny of $10,000 to have a shot at the multimillion dollar jackpot. And just since last year, when ESPN brought countless amounts of episodes into our living rooms, the number of participants skyrocketed from 839 in 2003 to 2,576 in 2004.
Beginning July 6, ESPN begins its replay of the 2004 World Series of Poker, and as the World Series of Poker comes around again in 2005, it's almost guaranteed that the number of entrants will double. The payout for the tournament surely will multiply, and viewers will continue to yearn for a shot to play. So why not put yourself among the best and take your best shot at claiming the cash prize and coveted championship bracelet?
After all, poker is said to be 55 percent skill and 45 percent luck. I'd rather be lucky than good.
Source: Jeff Zell, The Daily Texan
