With the recent rise of televised poker events, Texas Hold ‘Em has become very popular among college students.
For some, the competitive aspect of Texas Hold ‘Em draws them in.
“I basically play poker to take people out,” said Sermon Kha, a freshman poker player.
Players such as Kha enjoy the game simply for the ability to end someone’s night of play.
There is a lot of social activity surrounding poker as well.
“It’s a good way to get people to meet each other and relax,” said freshman Scott Cathcart.
Most games consist of between five and 10 players. This can get ugly as players utilize this socializing to their competitive advantage.
“I’ll just talk and talk and talk, some people will be so pissed that it will ruin their game,” said Kha.
Gambling can become a serious problem, and in recent years, with the rise of popularity of the sport, calls to gambling hotlines have also increased.
“At this point it’s about even between men and women. Now we are getting a lot of calls from younger people,” said Yola Ammerman, from the Gambling Treatment and Research Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center.
In Texas Hold ‘Em, the player has two cards and tries to make the best possible five card hand using their two cards and three of the five community cards.
First, players make a forced bet called a “blind” and are dealt their two cards. A round of betting occurs, then three of the community cards are shown. Before the fourth card is dealt, also known as “fourth street” or “the turn,” another round of betting occurs. More betting happens before and after “the river,” the fifth community card, is dealt.
The betting is the exciting aspect of the game to most players. Most games that students play require a certain amount of money to join. This preliminary cash offering is called a “buy-in” and for most games it is $5 to $10. Students say they are fine with these stakes for casual play.
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing because when we play it’s five bucks – no big deal,” said Nate Morelli, a freshman.
Eventually some players grow out of the low stakes range of betting and want something a little more exciting.
“I think high stakes is exciting,” said Cathcart. “I like the go big or go home kinda style. Nobody’s dying from poker.”
While it may be true that nobody is dying from poker, Ammerman disagrees that gambling addiction is not as dangerous as drug or alcohol addiction.
“It absolutely can be just as serious, though there are some obvious differences between the two,” said Ammerman.
In high stakes games at casinos or elsewhere, players can pay up to $100 to be a competitor. The stakes are even higher for televised events.
For some, addiction to gambling can become serious when the game moves from the table to the computer. Online gambling is becoming more popular as a way to quickly pick up a game without having to arrange a meeting with friends.
“Online gambling is a problem. It’s so accessible and it doesn’t even give you poker playing skills; you’re just seeing how good your hand is,” said Kha.
Texas Hold ‘Em isn’t the only type of poker. In other types of the game, players have differing amounts of cards and the rules for what card combinations win may change as well. Cathcart said he is frustrated at the reluctance of others to play different types of poker.
“It’s not really easy to find people who want to play another game style. Unless it’s like ‘go fish’ that you can play with your friend,” said Cathcart.
Some players say they feel playing poker can be a great way to meet friends and have a good time, but it’s important to stop addiction before it becomes serious. The University of Connecticut’s program is advanced, offering treatment for pathological gamblers free of charge.
“It’s a little bit of an advanced program, and some programs were set up in advance when casinos were coming in,” said Ammerman. “It’s a federally funded study and it’s completely free to them and they’re actually compensated for the research.”
The University of Connecticut’s helpline is available to anyone who needs help. Their program is more heavily staffed than the Oregon hotline and they also have a separate number to call for simple general questions.
The University of Connecticut’s toll free number for general questions is 877-400-0570. The Oregon gambling help hotline number is 877-2-STOP-NOW (877-278-6766).