Student Poker - Check, Call or Raise?

Ask any player and they will say that poker is more a gameof skill than a game of luck.

This means that just like any other skill-basedgame, there is always room for improvement and there are countless onlinecompanies, tournaments and even mates who are willing to help you practice (fora small fee....).

With interest-free overdrafts offered to students, many arefinding inventive ways of spending this 'free money'.

Catherine Rose, 20, limits herself to $25 per week on hersite of choice, pkr.com.

She withdraws any winnings and says that "online pokeris a good way of procrastinating and what's better than getting paid toprocrastinate!"

However Catherine sees the online tournaments as justpractice and prefers to play in the live tournaments organized by heruniversity's Poker Society as "it's a good way to meet people, especiallyboys".

She also says that it's easier to keep track of your chips when you'replaying live as they are physically in front of you.

How is this gambling? Yes, there is a chance that the wrong cards might come up but if you know the odds, you don't lose money

Jonathan Kay

Jonny Kay, 22, agrees and also prefers to play in livetournaments although he has worked out a quick way to make some easy money.

Heplays on vcpoker.com and has worked out that late on Friday nights there are alot of drunken Americans on the website who are very loose with their money.

Wherewould we be without our transatlantic cousins?

Spending £10 a week on poker, Jonny says, "How is thisgambling? Yes, there is a chance that the wrong cards might come up but if youknow the odds, you don't lose money".

The other side to poker is the social aspect.

Some guys, andincreasingly girls, often meet up for a few beers and a game of poker withtheir friends.

Jonny tells the story of one new years eve when he sat up with afew of his friends and played poker until lunchtime the next day.

So what is it that is so addictive about poker?

Both Jonnyand Catherine say that they play because they like the feeling of winningmoney.

In this sense then, is playing poker really that different from bettingon horse racing or playing blackjack?

Either way, poker remains one of the few games in whichwearing sunglasses, a hat or even a full-on mask are still seen as part of thegame.

After all, your poker-face could be the difference between being in thered or having some extra cash.