(October 4, 2004) — These days you can’t turn on the TV without seeing a poker show. Pros playing poker, celebrity poker, poker in Tiki huts, poker from your bathroom. Poker has clearly gone mainstream, and its lure lies in the fact that anyone play. Only in poker can an amateur reach the final-table with the likes of Doyle Brunson, Howard Lederer and TJ Cloutier. The recent spike in popularity came when Chris Moneymaker fittingly won the 2003 World Series of Poker and $2.5 million. Moneymaker was an amateur poker player and it was his first year in the WSOP. His Cinderella story convinced others that the average Joe could win at poker. The entries in the WSOP jumped from 863 in 2003 to over 2,600 this year. Hold ‘em is the most popular form of poker because it involves the highest stakes. You can bet all your chips, or money, in one hand. A misconception around poker is that it is entirely about luck, when in fact it takes skill and experience. No special physical ability is required, but the game does require incredible mental capacity and nerve. Poker is unique in that it is a combination of mathematics and odds, intelligence and observation skills combined with simple luck. And that’s the reason why poker isn’t just luck, it’s all about decisions. Students can be heard around campus talking about great poker games and offering advice. “Poker is a game like basketball or football, and I’m constantly trying to improve my game,” said junior Anthony Abraham. A great poker player doesn’t need great cards to win. You can force out a player with a marginal hand and an aggressive bet. You have to know what to do, when to call, fold, or raise and how much. However, there is luck involved, and that is both the beauty and bane of poker. According to poker star Phil Helmuth speaking at the WSOP on ESPN, “If there were no luck involved, I would win every hand.” And he’s essentially right. He is a fundamentally and mechanically perfect player, but sometimes the cards just don’t come his way. Here’s how it works : ·Each player is dealt two cards face down. These are your “hole cards.” ·After a round of betting, three cards are dealt farce up and are common to everyone’s hand. This is called the “flop.” ·There is another round of betting and then the “turn” is dealt face up and added to the community cards. ·Another round of betting and the “river” is dealt. ·One last round of betting and the player with the best five-card poker hand with a combination of his hole cards and the community cards wins.