More Players

In the past few months poker has boomed. More people are starting to play poker in public cardrooms than ever before. I attribute the increase to the World Poker Tour, Internet poker, and Chris Moneymaker.

The World Poker Tour seems to be on every time I turn on the television. I have received e-mails from friends I haven't seen in years, asking why they see me in the crowd and not at the table. I have friends who don't play poker tell me they like the way Phil Ivey plays, or how cool the poker players look with sunglasses. Anyway, everyone is watching the WPT.

Internet poker is making it easier for people to learn before going into a public cardroom for the first time and being embarrassed about making a mistake. It is like a farm league to get players into public cardrooms. One of my best friends played in the first event of the Orleans Open after playing only on the Internet, because I told him he will get great only if he can figure out the people and the tells. He outlasted half the field (there were 1,166 players) and decided to take extra vacation time to play in other events. The only problem is that I now have to teach him how to riffle chips with one hand.

Chris Moneymaker's win in the World Series of Poker championship seems to have made lots of players think they can win a lot of money playing poker - and they can. It is not going to be the same 100 or so players in the $5,000 buy-in championships anymore. That has been proven in the past few championship events.

The championship at Bellagio's Festa al Lago had 137 players. I don't think I recognized half the field. The interesting thing to me is that the play of the game is changing. I have seen the greatest bluffs lately, and everyone is doing it. Bluffing is great, but there is a time and a place for it, just like anything in life. Curt Kohlberg (one of the nicest guys I have met in poker in the last few years) won and claimed his second championship event. Most players don't know who Curt is. He is a businessman from the East Coast, and plays poker as a hobby. Good job, Curt!

The Aviation Club in Paris just hosted the premiere event of the second season of the World Poker Tour. The buy-in was $10,000, and there were almost 100 players, with more than 30 from America. David Benyamine from France won. Congratulations, David. Erick "E-DAWG" Lindgren and Lee Salem were the only two players from America to make the final six players. Keep an eye on Erick; he is playing great and has a lot of confidence.

Poker has the momentum it needs to grow, and it is in all of our best interests to help newcomers feel at home. One day recently there was poker on TV for eight hours in a row. Now, that is cool.