Raising the stakes

Epigram 17 January 2005 (Issue 166)
http://www.epigram.org.uk/view.php?id=324

"There are few things that are so unpardonably neglected in our country as poker ... it is enough to make one ashamed of one's species" - Mark Twain.

You probably hadn't realised it, but something had been missing from our university. Oxford and Cambridge contest an annual game and some 300 participants are expected to attend the first ever national student championships in April. With such a boom in the student community, it was only a matter of time before the poker craze hit Bristol.

On November 18, student council finally approved the new UBU Poker Society (PokSoc), giving the go-ahead to begin running tournaments with cash prizes. The society had been in the pipeline for some months, held up by legal concerns and the worry that the university may appear to be condoning gambling. PokSoc had already been granted a modest stall at Fresh, and, despite not being on any of the maps and leaflets, managed to compile a list of 112 potential members.

Thursday 2 December saw the first official poker tournament ever held at the University of Bristol. 48 players turned up to the students' union and paid £5 to enter. The game was no-limit Texas Hold 'em, the most popular of all the different variations of poker. Around 10.15, after nearly four hours of play, a final table of eight players emerged. With prize money going to the top five places, three people knew they would be going home empty handed. A tense 45 minutes and some shaky hands later, Sandeep Achar emerged victorious, claiming the £150 first prize. Second place went to Adam Rixon with Philip Riveron in third.

The first tournament saw a fairly high standard of poker with some very experienced players. However, the society is intending to run a session for beginners at the start of term which represents an ideal opportunity for people interested in the game. Poker is easy to learn but difficult to master, and tournaments like this are a valuable learning experience in a friendly environment not found in casinos or poker clubs. Tournaments are "freeze out", meaning that when you lose your chips you cannot buy back in, ensuring that poker remains a game of skill and not simply a means to gamble. With poker on TV, in the bookshops, on the internet and with at least four tournaments scheduled for this term, there has never been a better time to learn to play. What better use for your student loan?