Saturday night at Hopkins, and students huddle around a table, trying to concentrate. They're not at the library. They're not even studying. They're at Terrace Court, right on the Homewood campus, and they're a testament to the growing phenomenon that is Texas Hold'em poker.
The event, held by the Resident Advisory Board (RAB), drew some 60 students -- an impressive feat considering that the prizes were not too substantial (the grand prize was a $50 gift certificate to the Towson Mall), and advertising for the event was done only the day before.
"[The attendance] was something kind of unusual," explains RAB Community Director Sid Ramesh. "Usually you have to advertise for a few days to get that kind of response."
And the RAB isn't the only group that's seeing it.
In early January, Loyola College-Maryland's Office of Student Activities drew roughly 180 students and faculty to a $20 buy-in Hold'em tournament that offered a choice between a spring break trip to Acapulco or a $3,500 gift certificate to Best Buy.
Hold'em, which has invaded the national psyche in a variety of forms, is particularly popular on college campuses.
"It's a way to have fun with friends that gets them away from drinking every night on campus," explains senior Dave Albright, who has held three poker tournaments from his house this year.
Many players agree that Texas Hold'em presents a more exciting atmosphere than other forms of poker. To win a hand, players need the best five-card combination of the two cards they are dealt and the five community cards on the table. Two cards (often called a "pocket" or "hole") are dealt to each player. Opening bets are placed, as each player has the option of checking (waiting to see how everyone else bets), raising (increasing the bet), calling (meeting the bet), or folding (withdrawing from the round). Three community cards are then turned over (the "flop"). Another round of betting proceeds, followed by a fourth card that is turned over (the "turn" or "fourth street"). The third round of betting then takes place, followed by a fifth card (the "river" or "fifth street"). The final round of betting takes place, and the player with best five-card combination wins the pot. Games vary as to whether bets are capped (limit) or not (no limit).
"Texas Hold'em is the Cadillac of poker for a reason," explains Albright. "When you [play] no limit, it's the most competitive [style of poker] and takes the most guts."
Much of the Hold'em phenomenon has been attributed to the televised poker tournaments that have become popular in the past two years.
ESPN airs the "World Series of Poker," the Travel Channel has "World Poker Challenge" and Bravo puts on "Celebrity Poker Challenge." While the "World Series of Poker" has been played for over 30 years, it had not been televised until recently. The tournament, which consists of 839 players and lasts for five days, awards the winner a $2.5 million prize. "It's become a television event," explains Graff. "It's exciting to watch people risk a million dollars on just a few pieces of paper."
In fact, according to Time Magazine, this year's World Series of Poker attracted over three times the viewers that tuned in to the same time slot last year.
The televised poker tournaments present a reality-TV meets sports and gambling structure, complete with recurring characters like Chris Moneymaker (that's his real name), MIT graduate Robert Varkonyi, and Annie Duke, who finished 10th in 2000 while eight months pregnant. Short player bios are often featured between hands, and TV commentators drum up the excitement. Tiny cameras around the table give the audience a view of each player's hand, and an on-screen guide calculates each player's chances of winning.
Graff believes that Texas Hold'em present the best format for television, because it's relatively easy to learn and it's more of a rapid game.
"In general, people of all ages are certain to pick up poker because of [the television shows]," says Albright. "It's really getting out there more."
Technology has also played a substantial role in the Hold'em phenomenon. Online gaming sites, such as http://www.pokerroom.com offer novice and expert players alike a chance to play for play or real money with players from around the globe. Many players agree, however, that Internet poker takes away some of the psychological nuances that are crucial to a live game.
And so, students are coming together to play, in weekly pick-up games or organized tournaments.
Albright started playing with his friends during his junior year and soon got more serious about the game. When he found that there were many other groups on campus who played regularly, he began hosting larger tournaments, with buy-ins ranging fro $20-50. "The reason why we do it is so those groups can come together, so people can get a feel for their level of skill compared to a wider group of people," he explains.
"There's quite a wide range of players with different mentalities of how they play the game," Albright says. He also explains that while some players are in it for the money, others simply play to have a good time.
Graff, who has had a regular card game with friends since high school, used to play a variety poker games, but now almost exclusively plays Hold'em due to its re cent popularity. Graff usually plays with a rotating group of 15 or 20 people, occasionally bringing in others to play in tournaments.
"It used to be difficult to find eight guys to play [during freshman year]," Graff says. "Now I can just send out an e-mail and that pretty much sets it up to have 10 people here."
"A lot of people want [the RAB to host a tournament] again," says Ramesh. "If somebody wanted to start a [poker] club, it'd be a good club to start."
Around the country, jackpots are growing and tables are being filled. Texas Hold'em is the latest national pastime.
"Some people play it like a sport, some play it like a game," explains Albright. "It gets in your blood and doesn't leave you."
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