A Keen Student of Poker
One of the joys about being a student is that in amongst all the studying, revision, essays and dissertations, there is a chance to socialise and enjoy yourself with new friends from a wide range of different backgrounds from all over the country. Traditionally, students used to head to the student bar, head off to town or host their own house parties but the increasing interest, some would say addiction, to people gathering together in order to play one of the many forms of poker games, is changing that dynamic.
The modern student is now not just satisfied with an evening with friends, having a few drinks and a dance. Many students are now indulging in their new-found passion for poker, either online in casinos or poker rooms or better still, with friends around a poker table for an evening.
Of course, there are many forms of poker available to play; seven and five-card stud are variations on the game, while Omaha poker also has its followers, but without doubt, Texas Holdem poker is the most popular variant of the game. Its popularity both in terms of online players and due to its exposure on national television has ensured that it is the variant of the game played most predominantly on laptops and inside student houses the length and breadth of the country.
So, as a student, how would you go about organising your own poker evening?
The first thing to do is to ascertain which of your new group of friends is interested in the game. A few years back, it would have been somewhat difficult to imagine there being an awful lot of interest from students on any campus in the UK but over the past few years, that attitude has changed markedly. The number of people who now play poker with friends and particularly online in casinos, poker rooms and even on social networking sites, has grown massively in recent years and as such, finding friends who are interested in spending an evening playing the game should be relatively simple.
The great thing about poker is that it requires very little in the way of preparation or expense to prepare for a great night playing the game. Once you have your group of friends and a date and time organised, all you need is a pack of playing cards, a suitable venue with a table to sit around and something to use as chips. Nowadays, cheaply priced packs of chips are available and often come with their own set of cards too and they will prove to be a wise investment. Using chips is a good idea as it makes the game feel more realistic, rather than using items such as small denomination coins as chips instead.
To prepare your evening, ask your friends to bring with them some drinks (it is a very good idea to ensure there are soft drinks in the mix, as well as alcoholic, especially if you intend on winning the tournament!) and a few nibbles (buffet food that requires no heating up is ideal). You have now got everything in place and sorted ready for your student poker tournament to begin!
Now, one of the questions many students will ask at this point is ‘how do I ensure that I do not spend more than I can afford and gamble away half my student loan in the course of one evening?’ The answer is very simple. Once you have your guests sorted for the tournament, the best way to ensure you do not lose more cash than you can afford is for all guests to pay the same buy-in fee.
This works by ensuring that all players buy the same amount of chips for the same amount of money, so that at the start of the competition everything is equal and above board. For example, you may state that the buy-in fee is £10 per person. If you have 10 people playing in the tournament, this gives you a tournament pot of £100 in total. Everyone pays the same amount of money and they always pay in advance. You can perhaps divide the pot up and suggest that the winner receives 75 per cent of the pot, with the runner up receiving 25 per cent.
It is easy to see why poker is catching on in so many student halls and homes as a cheap and enjoyable pastime. It may not have the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas or Monte Carlo, but in terms of student entertainment, it is a night in that rivals any wild house party!
