The Changing Face of Poker

by Lindsey Berryhill | photography by Andrea Brown

A nervous tic hidden by a confident attitude. A blank stare but a knowing glance.

The legendary poker face has effectively erased the expressions of casino-goers for decades. So why is the current poker trend rendering the perfect bluff relatively useless? The movement toward virtual, online poker tables threatens a crucial aspect of a game that began as one-half poker skill, one-half acting ability. Texas Hold ’em fanaticism is no longer restricted to scotch-drinking, middle-aged bachelors in Vegas. The game has taken hold of celebrities on the Bravo Network. The guy next to you on the bus is thinking about it. It’s probably even affecting you, and if it isn’t, don’t worry—it will. Whether you’re browsing the 14-and-counting poker groups on Facebook or even The Red & Black’s advertisements, Texas Hold ’em and its recent hold over Athens is obvious. Athens bars and restaurants hold weekly tournaments for those who prefer playing in person. Some students double dip, playing poker both in person and online, while others are strictly online competitors.

Recently-founded online companies such as Party Poker and Pacific Poker offer a convenient way to play poker at any time of day in the comfort of your own home, without having to drive to an ATM for cash. They also provide amateur players with a way to practice “alone,” without the added pressures of conventional poker games, such as criticism from friends. After entering credit card information, a player can register with the company and play to his or her heart’s content. Players can choose from a number of betting levels so that low-budget players are not put at tables with high rollers. Other websites provide lists of blacklisted poker sites to protect players from scams.

Some University of Georgia students have made poker a source of income as well as a hobby. Second-year student Nick Ledner, vice president of an aspiring UGA Poker Club, has played since his sophomore year in high school. Though he started with live poker tournaments, he now plays exclusively online. Ledner enjoys the added dimension of Poker Tracker, software that keeps track of other players’ hands and responses. He made more than $5,000 on the approximately 60,000 hands Poker Tracker calculated during the fall 2005 semester. With his profits, Ledner rewards himself with shoes, clothes and even a new car.

The Poker Tracker system statistically labels Ledner’s opponents by categorizing them in terms of how well and how risky they tend to play. Ledner has gotten his extra edge not only with the help of technology but also by reading more than 10 books on poker strategy. He also meets with three equally hardcore friends downtown every week to discuss what they’ve learned. Ledner is an affiliate for Empire Poker, an online poker company, which means that he signs up other poker players and receives a percentage of everything they win. In return, he offers potential members certain perks, such as reimbursing 25 percent of the rake (money the website charges) back to the player.

Though his poker playing is extensive, Ledner is not a gambler by nature. He refuses to bet on sports. He says he feels that when he plays poker, he has full control over his money. “Poker is not gambling if you play well over a period of time,” Ledner says. For him, practice and learned strategies are greater factors than luck. He says the only negative side effect of all his years in front of a computer screen is serious back problems—a small price to pay for poker profits.

Despite the new craze of online poker, the face-to-face poker of the past is not becoming obsolete. College students constitute about 70 percent of the Athens Poker Club’s membership, says Tami Wiggins, organizer of the club. Anywhere between 50 and 80 people attend the Poker Club’s games. On any given night of the week, members engage in an organized game of poker. DT’s Down Under, Last Call, Chaser’s, Buffalo’s Southwest Cafe and Klassics are just a few of the weekly poker venues. Most even offer free entry, food and prizes. They provide a sociable atmosphere for beginners and professionals alike. The drink specials that help break the ice don’t hurt either.

Some players try to keep things casual by meeting with friends at home instead of with a structured group at a restaurant. Kevin Barker, a third-year UGA student from Pine Mountain, and his roommates have devoted an entire room in their house, located near Five Points, to poker gear: a table with felt layouts, dozens of chip sets, cards and accessories. “It’s a nice distraction from my usually grueling 12-hour-a-semester schedule,” Barker says. For them, poker has become a way to socialize and enjoy friendly competition. Sometimes they have 10 players, other times only four—and the winner typically treats everyone to Waffle House. But the growing poker trend is not limited to Athens businesses and private parties. Campus groups have come onto the scene and are capitalizing on poker in a productive way. Two Greek organizations, Theta Chi and Alpha Chi Omega, have held poker philanthropies over the past two years. Theta Chi held one tournament at Wild Wing and one at Buffalo’s Southwest Cafe. Last year they raised more than $500 for the Marcus Foundation in Atlanta, which aids the mentally handicapped and other people in need. Alpha Chi Omega holds their tournament upstairs at Wild Wing, as well. Charging $25 to enter, they raised a total of $3,000 in 2004 and gave all the earnings to H.E.R.O. for Children, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children affected by HIV/AIDS. Poker with a purpose. Who would’ve thought?

The skill of noticing a hesitant glance or the slightest quiver of an eye is insignificant at an online table, and memorizing the telltale quirks of an opponent is impossible. While the game may lose a vital, personal aspect when played online, another dimension can be added by uniting players for a cause. A well-trained poker face now can make a difference in a child’s life by providing and funding a mentor, as with the H.E.R.O. program. It’s the poker player’s chance to make the world a better place.

Go ahead; buy in.