A small bluff, honest? An Indian? A seven-card stud? A draw? Or perhaps a tour of king and low? Store and exit rather Cranium cards and rolls of coins of 5 cents, mix Gin Gimlet bluffer reveal your inner talents and your dealer. Poker is experiencing a resurgence in popularity in the cottages, on television and the Internet.
Some fans indulge in as tourists, at most likely handle their “small change” or Monopoly money. However, the pros are spectacular win one evening, better to lose their shirts the next day.
Trained in engineering, Nicolas Fradet earns a living with poker. Not playing – although his talent for cards is a lucrative “perk” – but rather by administering several French sites (including www.princepoker.com) devoted to tips and strategies of the famous game
“Most players who frequent our sites are between 20 and 30 years and found the game and the strategy via the Internet,” he says during a telephone interview.
The planet, says Nicolas Fradet, is in the grip of the fever of poker. The latter observed with interest how his hobby has recently re-gilded his reputation. “With the World Poker Tour, the game has a great impact in the United States. Celebrities like Ben Affleck, who recently won more than U.S. $ 300 000 in a big tournament James Woods and Tobey Maguire, all good players, gave visibility to the game and made it posh. ”
In Quebec, the wave of poker is slowly but surely. Still exist in Quebec casinos, the poker rooms as in Atlantic City, where participants play together and not against the house, will soon be implemented as a pilot project at the Casino de Hull. Before the champagne, Quebec fans will calm their passions: the Council of Ministers of the provincial government must first include poker in the list of approved games for casinos in Quebec.
The evening of poker
In recent months, some U.S. networks (including ESPN) offer holders of satellite TV to watch people playing cards, their bluff and bet on (and sometimes their dignity). In July, the Sports Network entered the round as disseminating international poker tournaments.
But for the strong emotion, be ironed. Poker TV show we used the stoic Chris Moneymaker, Phil Gordon and other professional players used to walk their poker face in international tournaments. To furnish the (perpetual) dead time of this game almost as slow as golf, a commentator will be prosaic observations like, “Moneymaker is considering its strategy. Stress is palpable. ”
In Britain, the poker fever lasts from the beginning of the decade. Late Night Poker, which aired between 1999 and 2002, got ratings that were often curled a million viewers.
Following the success of this show which was sold everywhere, from Australia to Poland or South Korea, the network Presentable Television launched last fall, the series Celebrity Poker Club, which brought together personalities such as novelist Martin Amis, environmentalist Zac Goldsmith and the inventor Sir Clive Sinclair.
According to Nicolas Fradet, tournaments televised poker help demystify and make us forget its dark side, and vaguely miserable mafia. “The typical profile of players that compete in the international circuit is pretty impressive. Most are educated people, many of them have doctorates. Among former world champions, there are lawyers, mathematicians … ”
As the world of film Ocean 12 (coming out in theaters in October), poker still has a large percentage of testosterone. “Given the background macho, most players are male. But we see more and more women among amateurs and some are among the best in the world, “said Nicolas Fradet.
Practiced between consenting adults who play for a few dollars or for the social aspect of the thing, poker seems very harmless. But like all good things of life, excess and addiction are pleased to turn sour.
Professor of Psychology at McGill University and an expert on gambling addictions, Jeffrey Derevensky is closely monitoring this new craze for poker by monitoring the response of adolescents with respect to this mode. He also shows concern when teens get a taste of the combination card-money.
“Poker is becoming popular among students, both in college at the university. This game also benefits from great visibility, thanks to television and interactive Web sites, says the psychologist. Recently, a colleague told me that her 12 year old son, addicted to internet poker, stole the money to continue playing. ”
Popularized by television and the Internet, poker is now perceived as a socially acceptable activity.
“The gaming industry, calling for gaming now what was once the gambling, has succeeded in changing the social perception of poker. It now combines the fun game that once had an aura of sinister and criminal. ”
According to Jeffrey Derevensky, the emergence of shows like Celebrity Poker and CSI Las Vegas raises youth greed. “Television shows poker as something attractive and glamorous. Young people are impressed by the flashy, sexy women, sequins, side … James Bond ”
The Science of Poker
Amateur poker “small bets” Barry Fritz, professor of psychology at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, has used his fascination for the game to better advance science. Combining business with pleasure, he played for hours with hardliners in order to better understand the motivations, behaviors and reflexes of the players.
“I first started out my own impulses and behavior. I noted carefully put my, my gains and my losses. I noted also the remarks superstitious players and the comments on the strategies of others. I also interviewed a player who was undergoing treatment for gambling problems because of poker. ”
Among other observations, Barry Fritz concluded that the social aspect of poker different from other gambling activities. “Poker is a social game. Many who play for small amounts do for the sake of entertainment. Slots, moreover, are solitary activities. ”
Barry Fritz also noted that poker players do not consider themselves as gamblers, since they are not competing against the house of games, like roulette or blackjack. “Poker is more use of skills at the chance,” he said.
According to the psychologist, players who do not trust to chance alone are likely to lose their money in favor of more strategic adversaries. Emotional control also helps prevent problems of gambling addiction and financial loss.
“This is a potentially dangerous passion. Several players interviewed had been introduced to poker by members of their families at a young age. These early experiences, in some cases, had created a predisposition for problem gambling ”
The art of bluffing
Why poker is it so attractive? Due to winning combination of psychology, risk, strategy, calculation and extravagance, says Nicolas Fradet.
“Like in chess or bridge, a good player must be patient. To become a pro, you need to know the statistics and mathematics and more to adapt. We do not play the same way with each person he must evaluate each contestant to have an idea of ??their size and their style of play the psychological side of poker is fascinating, “he said.
Therefore, those who often lose the game are often the same people that build continuously, regardless of the quality of their play “When we play too much, you lose little by little. Because usually we have good “hands” in only 15 to 20% of cases, “says Nicolas Fradet.
Of course, bluffing is an art that can be worked with care and determination. The extravagant costumes, hats, sunglasses, air or too innocent villains are all elements that are used to manipulate perception of adversaries.
“The beauty of poker is that a beginner has a chance to win against a professional. The most important thing is being able to enter the head of the opponent to anticipate what he will do, “said Nicolas Fradet.
But not require a subscription to the casino to enjoy the joys of poker. With big cigars, lighting a bit murky, a few drinks and some good sub statements, we can recreate the atmosphere of Ocean 12 in the comfort of her kitchen.
