| OPINION
| SEPTEMBER 23, 2005
Money for Nothing
Texas Hold’em entices would-be
poker players, but the chips aren’t free
 |
| The Shorthorn: Alex Pierce |
|
A wise man once said, “If you choose
a profession that you enjoy, then you’ll never work a day
in your life.” I wonder if this man saw Texas Hold’em
poker coming.
Making a living from games is nothing new; it’s been going
on for centuries. But Hold’em is something new. In Hold’em,
there are no teams, no unions and no professional league to limit
the number of professional players; everyone is a free agent in
this game. Anyone who is able to hone his or her skill at this game
is able to enter and compete for prizes reaching into the millions
of dollars. It’s been said that all you need in poker is a
chip and a chair.
The popularity of this game is reaching new heights. ESPN used to
only air the championship games, but now it and a few other channels
run minor tournaments during prime time. Local tournaments with
noncash prizes have been filling up; one here at UTA had more than
50 participants last week. Part of this is due to the game being
fun to play. It doesn’t rely on one’s physical prowess;
this is a competitive sport for intellectuals who can make the right
calls at the right time. Everyone starts out as equals, the only
divider in this game is skill.
In the past few years, I have met quite a few people who now support
themselves completely by Texas Hold’em. In fact, when asked
what their jobs were, they replied, “I play poker.”
These are not the players you see on TV, but the college-aged who
spend just as many hours playing online poker as people with more
traditional jobs. It’s a risky business; there’s no
guarantee on how much you will take home — if anything at
all. Losing money is certainly possible as well. But on the positive
side, you get to work at home, choose your own hours and do as much
or as little as you want. Plus, who could really call this work
anyway?
What’s their secret? Solid knowledge of the game, which they
use to fully exploit this fad. Since Hold’em poker seems so
easy to win and has received so much attention, many people are
drawn into the game thinking that it’s easy money. They are
the prey, they bring in the money for the working poker player.
Think of it like an episode of “American Idol” where
you see the horrible singers trying out for the show, except instead
of being insulted and sent away, they just lose all their money.
As long as Hold’em maintains its popularity, there will always
be a supply of amateurs ready to feed the professionals.
With so many sharks swimming in the pool, how can a casual player
hope to be able to compete? The answer is simple: Start small. Friendly
games will help you figure out the odds and start cluing you in
on how to interpret your opponents’ actions. Analyzing betting
patterns is necessary for online play. Something should always be
at stake when you play, like money. People will play much more seriously
when something is at stake. Most importantly, remember that this
is a game of skill, not luck. If it were based on luck, then the
same few people would not keep reappearing at the final tables of
the World Series of Poker year after year. A person can get lucky
in poker, but luck is not something that can be repeated on command.
Earning a living on poker won’t happen overnight, and it’s
not going to happen to everybody. It’s like the dream job
that everyone can work at, but only a few can make their living
off of. There’s probably not too many kids who want to be
gamblers when they grow up, but plenty of men and women who wish
they could be. With unlimited potential to be had at the tables,
but plenty to lose as well, this appeals to those of us who want
to take risks and live dangerously. For those of us who want a fun
hobby with the chance to profit from it, this is also great. And
with the advent of online gaming, one can play Hold’em or
any number of similar games from anywhere and at anytime.
Just keep in mind the old poker proverb: “If you can’t
find the sucker at the table, it’s probably you.”
— Josh Morris is a marketing sophomore and The Shorthorn
staff columnist
|
|
