Social Poker
Gambling on the high seas of human nature, poker raises the stakes…
Whilst playing amongst friends you are acutely aware of unconscious signs ands signals revealing your opponents victory or demise. Defining moments in recognizing one’s poker face so to speak. The biggest disadvantage of playing Poker online is that it is highly impossible to read a bluff.
“You could not have one winning hand all evening but walk out the winner. It’s all in the bluff,” says a Twenty-two year old Durban North student known only at the poker table as The Riverman. “You see the river card is the last card on the table. I’ve been called The Riverman because I often get lucky on that card and win pots that I was losing up until the river card”.
While gambling is gambling, and with it comes the cheap adrenaline-fuelled extreme of winning or losing large pots of money, the social aspect of having a night out with your friends still holds the highest draw card amongst them. Also present at a friendly game gathering were City Bowl Mizer's lead singer Martin Barrios, Durban North student Kern Davel, Joker of the pack Matthew Campbell, Sheep Down’s Bassist Duncan Coleville, The Riverman and Andrea Wise a.k.a. The Poker Fairy. They offered these revealing signs in poker playing…
Telltale signs of winning cards-
When an opponent begins playing with his chips, it reveals they want to put their chips in and they’re itching to play to win- Matthew Campbell
Telltale sign of bluffing-
I have noticed many players place their hand on their neck-Kern Davel
When they start looking a little uneasy, fidgeting, and shuffling around on their chair- Andrea Wise a.k.a. The Poker Fairy
Throwing their chips far in because it shows they bluffing as they clearly don’t expect to get them back- The Riverman
Hundreds of card games have been devised over the centuries, but relatively few have had such lasting appeal. Perhaps it has something to do with the fascinating and intricate world of risk taking and intrigue that Poker draws you to be a part of…
How to Play Texas Hold’em Poker
One of the most popular variations of poker is Texas Hold’em. Like most games, the aim of poker is to win. Players contribute toward a central “pot” that contains play chips or chips representing actual money. Players are dealt cards, called a “hand” some or all of which are concealed. Wagers are made on the strength of the cards in rounds of betting. After the betting rounds are over, the player with the strongest hand- or the last player left standing after the others have folded- wins! To begin with, players are dealt two “hole” cards that only they can see and use. Then, five “community” cards are dealt in the middle of the table that everyone can see and use with their hand. Players can make their five-card hand from both, one or none of their hole cards in combination with the community cards.
Ace the lingo
Broomcorn’s Uncle- A Player that antes himself broke
Bullets-A pair of Aces
Dead Man’s Hand- Two pair- Aces and Eights (The hand Wild Bill Hickock was holding when Jack McCall shot him in the back)
Bullying- When a Chip leader pressures a player with the least amount of chips to bet in, invariably causing him to lose
