I was a professional poker player. Or will be - I'm not sure about how the whole reincarnation thing works, but what I do know is that there are currently two poker shows that have kept me riveted to my television lately. One is ESPN's coverage of the World Series in Poker, held every year in Las Vegas; the other is "Celebrity Poker Showdown" on the Bravo network, where a veritable who's who of the Hollywood set gathers around the table to bet, bluff, and make snarky comments from the Losers' Lounge as they're eliminated. In both cases the game is No Limit Texas Hold 'Em, a variation of poker I wasn't familiar with until I started tuning in to these shows, but one that looks like a hell of a lot of fun just to watch, let alone play. The rules are simple: every player is dealt two cards face down, on which they decide whether they want to play the hand or not and bet accordingly. After initial round of betting, three cards are drawn by the dealer and shown to all - these are "community" cards, and can be used by any of the players to form their five-card hand. Another round of betting ensues, after which the fourth and then fifth of the common cards are then revealed (with rounds of betting in between each card), followed by a final round of betting, if there's anyone left in the game. Since No Limit Texas Hold 'Em encourages people to bet big, bluffs count for a lot in this game, and quite frequently a pot will go to someone long before the final call.
I really need to start a poker night!
No comments:
Post a Comment