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Copyright 2005 Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 4, 2005
HEADLINE:
Opinions: Poker
on campus: a royal flush
Author: Ella Peterson
BODY:
Up until about a year ago, if anyone had asked me what "flop"
or "river" meant, I would have answered with straightforward
definitions of the words and possibly with examples (see "From
Justin to Kelly," and a dry, sandy wash, respectively).
Then I was reluctantly inducted into the world of Texas
hold 'em poker by a determined roommate. Turns out I liked
it, and I'm not the only one. However, poker has always been more
than chips and cards, and the dangers of addiction are something
to be aware of.
Recent months have seen an explosion in poker's popularity, locally
and nationally. It's on the big-screen televisions in sports bars,
plastered across T-shirts and billboards; we watch celebrities
anguish over whether to fold or go all in, and a new batch of
sports heroes is playing in the World Series of Poker.
The UA campus is no exception to the poker fever; mere mention
of Texas hold 'em will make half the people in any given room
lean forward with undisguised interest and excitement.
People are playing everywhere: on Web sites, in the residence
halls, in Wilbur's Underground, in study rooms at the UA Main
Library, at parties. The game takes a moment to learn, but as
a skill, it requires much more time and dedication to fully comprehend
and master.
Such a surge in student appeal, however, raises questions regarding
the line between the strictly regulated activity of gambling and
an innocuous but lively game of strategic camaraderie.
Traditionally, poker has associations to casinos, to seedy dealers
and smoky rooms, to environments rife with tension and money.
But while this historical perception will always lend a certain
aura to the game, the new face of poker is affable, accessible
and communal. As both a student pastime and campus activity, it
has put on a new suit and shed many of its negative connotations.
In twice-weekly tournaments in both the Student Union Memorial
Center and Park Student Union, like-minded people meet around
felt-covered tables, try their poker faces and strategies of play,
with nothing at stake but a little pride.
There is no betting permitted, and this removal of monetary risk-and-reward
puts poker on a social
level, allows it to be what it is: an exciting night of conversation
and competition, free of the pressures, friction and legal questions
brought into play by fiscal interests.
Tournament players generally partake for the love of poker
and time with friends, but the points given out in each of these
highly structured and well-organized events are another objective.
These points are used in a ranking system of the top participating
players. At the end of the year, the best players are invited
to the Champions Tournament, where points can turn into prizes.
These tournaments, put on by the Games Room, and other opportunities
for the poker aficionado address a rapidly growing interest in
the student population, and the programs have sprung up within
a few short years. They provide a safe and fun service to their
customers, and many are taking full advantage of these new activities.
People should be aware of their own tendencies, however. Players,
especially those who participate in frequent for-cash games elsewhere,
should self-monitor for signs of a particular tendency toward
addiction. As with all activities with potential to alter mood
excessively, much of the concern surrounding the concept of gambling
on campus stems from the possibility of negative impact on one's
education and life.
While this is something every player should keep in mind, removing
the aspect of reward or penalty from the game of poker likewise
removes much of the emotional high-stakes feel. This leaves, ideally,
only the pleasure and adrenaline rush that comes with playing
any game of skill and strategy.
Poker should be, and is, an activity of enjoyment and friendly
competition, not an unhealthy addiction or obsession, and programs
such as the Games Room tournaments remove the source that continues
to associate poker with gambling: money, something students don't
have much of to begin with.
As a hitherto untapped area of interest within the student population,
poker has enjoyed a recent boom of publicity and popularity. The
line between gambling and gaming is necessarily questioned, but
as a student activity on campus, poker has become a social event.
It is common ground, a personal test of strategy and risk-assessment
skills, and - for some dedicated players - an applicable metaphor
for most aspects of life.
Ella Peterson is a creative writing junior. She can be reached
at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
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