Poker really is mainstream

[weirwizard]

Article published today on the front page of the daily telegraph:

Forget the charades, poker gets biggest hand this Christmas
By David Derbyshire, Consumer Affairs Editor
It's 5pm on Christmas Day, the Queen's speech is a distant memory and the children are becoming restless.

In past years this would have been the moment for dusting down the Monopoly set, digging out the Pictionary or rounding up aunts for a game of charades.

But in these rapacious times, the simple pleasure of an innocent board or parlour game is no longer enough. This Christmas, families increasingly will be huddled around the card table, playing poker.

Sales figures from department stores and supermarkets released yesterday show that sets of poker chips are outselling classic board games.

The poker craze is fuelled by the popularity of internet gambling sites, endorsements in television programmes such as Desperate Housewives and EastEnders and the growing number of satellite and cable television channels devoted to the game.

As a result, poker is shedding is sleazy image and attracting women players in large numbers for the first time. At Tesco, sets of poker chips are outselling Scrabble by three to one and beating Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit.

"It's part of a wider trend for more interactive games in the home," said Mike Arnott, Tesco's toys senior buyer.

"Last year we saw a big increase in sales of traditional board games like Monopoly and Cluedo. This year they are continuing to do well, but we are seeing poker coming through.

"Families have less time to spend together, so when they do they want quality time interacting with kids, rather than having children upstairs playing on computer games."

Sets of poker chips, cards and mats have also been doing well at John Lewis department stores. "Poker games are proving very popular and in some cases are outselling more traditional board games," said Louise Williams, the company's gift buyer.

"Sales for all of our poker products are up 145 per cent on last month."


My own questions to you are: Can this only be a good thing? Will poker be another passing fad.

[AdamM]

if the average ability of the poker player goes down that has to be good for those of us that study our games. be warm and welcoming on lower buy in nights in the new year at your local casinos and DON'T TAP ON THE FISH TANK   

[yt]

yeah and stop advising the fish on their bad plays in the chat window. LET THEM BURN

[thetank]

DON'T TAP ON THE FISH TANK   

newmanseye take note

[mikkyT]

DON'T TAP ON THE FISH TANK   

Yes Billy!!!! Remember this advice. FFS. No free lessons.

[mikkyT]

FFS tank beat me too it. Still, at least great minds think alike.

(Actually, fools seldom differ... but there we go)

[poker_biker]

I have been thinking for a while that there may be easy pickings in January when all these new players venture online.

[thetank]

easier pickings

[Highstack]

No there won't - you will just hear yet more boring bad beat tales.

The players that you really want are predictable players, not new fish.

[mikkyT]

If it wasn't for Bad beats, I'd be rich by now

(Where is the Phil Helmuth avatar?)

[thetank]

If it wasn't for bad beats I wouldn't be very well off at all.

No-one would play poker if the best hand always won.

[matt674]

If it wasn't for bad beats I wouldn't be very well off at all.

No-one would play poker if the best hand always won.

correct me if i'm wrong but unless you are playing razz, doesnt the best hand always win??

[thetank]

For the pedantic monkey....


No-one would play poker if the hand, which was favourite to win the pot before all the cards are dealt, always held up.

unless you are playing razz, doesnt the best hand always win??

If you're playing razz would the best low hand not, ipso facto, be the best hand. So would the best hand at razz not always win too

[mikkyT]

No, if your name is newmanseye then you "win" with second best hands by making the other person fold. But sometimes he has nights where nobody will fold, so then you hear storiies of "my cards where second best all night".

[mikkyT]

Monkey boy has been out pedanted!