World Poker Tour
Well, once again I was watching one of my shows this weekend that I regularly land on, World Poker Tour (WPT). The WPT is another show that I have learned to love. The WPT is a show that covers the action at the final table of a (typically) texas-hold’em poker tournaments. There usually is six people sitting around a poker table trying to win all the chips. The winners can take home hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.
There is much debate about the origins of poker and how long its been played around the world. Some people date it back to the 15th century in Germany. Modern poker tournaments date back to 1970 and have gained recent popularity from televised tournaments (WPT) and internet gambling.
I originally didn’t get the purpose of the WPT. It’s the same as watching paint dry. They just sit around playing cards and are starring at each other. How can this be any fun? Well, I’m glad you asked…
There are many aspects of televised poker that can make it exciting. First off, you can learn some real tips on how to play poker from watching the professionals. They can teach you the lingo, what the odds are in certain situations and most importantly “when to hold’em and when to fold’em”. Knowing more about the game can seriously improve your chances when you sit down at the green felt.
Another exciting aspect of televised poker, you get to see the action at the table. The show typically shows everyone’s hand at the table. Of course, no one else knows what each other has, but we are lucky enough to have that window into their world. It is like having X-ray vision or gambling omnipotence. You can sit there and yell at the screen, “Dude, Fold!” “But doesn’t this give away the ending / who is going to win?” No it doesn’t. Often someone that has the best hand will get beaten out by someone making strong bets and a good bluff. It is the ultimate mind game.
One of the most exciting aspects of professional poker is the characters that play. You have people that play it cold and others that can’t be shut up. You have modest players and then you have total braggarts. After awhile, you learn your favorites and least favorites. Much like your local baseball team or favorite college team, you start pulling for your pony to flop the nuts.
This weekend’s episode of the WPT was the Queens of Poker #3. It was a women only event that featured some of the best ladies of poker. I grabbed my attention enough to watch the last 4 players whittle down to a winner. According to the WPT, only 1 out of every 20 poker players is women. That was surprising to me. Some of the best players I played against have been women.
Some people have equated watching professional poker to watching professional golf. Surprisingly, poker typically has hirer payouts to the winners. Quite often, an off-the-street amateur can walk in and win a WPT event. That just doesn’t happen to often in golf. In poker, you get to listen to the table chatter. That only happens during skins matches during televised golf.
Loading ...I personally enjoy both poker and golf. Both take incredible concentration to be good at and win, but both can be played by everyday amateurs like you and me. There is nothing better than a round of golf with good friends or a couple hands of poker over some beers.
Leave a comment and let us know if you enjoy poker or not. Tell us about your best bluffs and bad-beats.
