Poker's on a roll, so why not cash in on the fun?

Poker's on a roll, so why not cash in on the fun? by Chuck Blount for The Star If image consultants need a model for the perfect makeover, there is no better example than the game of poker. Out are the old stereotypes of games being played in smokey backrooms of neighbourhood saloons, with shady characters waiting to put a bullet through your chest if enough money has been lost. In are the mental pictures of anybody and everybody getting together for a fun-filled game of cards that not only sets the stage for generous financial reward, but also tests every step of the thinking process. Poker — more specifically, Texas Hold 'Em — is on a serious winning streak, and it has television and the Internet to thank. The popularity can be traced to two key events. First came The Travel Channel's World Poker Tour, which introduced the brilliant concept of inserting tiny cameras into the table to expose the cards and never-before-seen pro strategy. But the real boom hit in 2003, when a Tennessee accountant, fittingly named Chris Moneymaker, turned a $40 Internet buy-in into $2.5 million with a victory in the World Series of Poker's main event. ESPN's cameras captured the magic and proceeded to air it over and over again to an adoring audience that brought incredible ratings. There, the dream was born that anybody can win. Moneymaker ground out his victory against a field of 839 players plunking down $10,000 per seat for a shot at poker royalty. In 2004, the World Series of Poker attracted a field of 2,576 players, increasing the championship haul to more than $5 million for Greg Raymer. The 2005 World Series is estimated to hit the 6,000-player range. Prior to the Moneymaker sensation, poker TV programming used to be confined to late-night filler on ESPN. Now it can be seen on multiple channels, as Bravo has Celebrity Poker Showdown, the Game Show Network airs Casino Royale and Fox joins the game with its Poker Superstars competition, among others. Poker — more specifically, Texas Hold 'Em — is on a serious winning streak, and it has television and the Internet to thank The Las Vegas casinos that shut down their poker rooms to clear space for more slot machines in the 1990s have had a sudden change of plans. Strip staples such as the MGM Grand and the Bellagio have introduced lavish poker rooms. The newly opened Wynn Las Vegas has raised the bar further, even going so far as to hire 2004 Player of the Year Daniel Negreanu, a Toronto native, as its poker ambassador. Internet card rooms, most of them set up in the Caribbean, are running around the clock, and millions of players are wagering millions of dollars in tournaments and cash games. At any one time, more people are playing in online poker rooms than at all of the live casino tables in North America combined. Bookstores are devoting more space to poker-strategy books penned by pros such as Doyle Brunson and Phil Hellmuth Jr., capitalizing on the notion that readers will become better with these tips. Check out your catalogues or peruse your local shopping centres if you want further evidence. The hot gifts this past holiday season included fancy sets of poker chips, fold-over tabletop poker tables and crisp decks of cards. Check out the Saturday Star each week for your dose of poker news. Look for book reviews, profiles of people in poker, tall tales from the felt and strategies that might help you improve your game. While you might not see me on TV any time soon earning million-dollar prizes, I know the people on TV who are earning million-dollar prizes. I'll tell you what they tell me. Move over, bridge, spades and hearts — poker has reclaimed its crown in the card-playing universe. And if the staggering number of players gives any indication, it is here to stay. We're only starting to build this pot of popularity.