It’s official:Texas Hold ‘Em is the new bingo, at least according to the Cincinnati Post. Is this officially the moment that Hold’Em jumped the shark?
From the Cincinatti Post:
Picture yourself in a hall full of tables, with a half-dozen or so poker players seated at each one, all trying to be the last man sitting.
Each player gets two cards, face down, and a chance to bet. The dealer then unveils three cards, known as the flop, then one, called the turn, and finally, the last card, known as the river.Each time, the players can bet. The winner uses his two cards and the five community cards to make the best poker hand — or bets to persuade everyone else to think he has the best hand — and take the pot.
It’s called Texas Hold ‘Em, and it may one day become a significant source of revenue for local charities, said Tony Royalty, spokesman for the Kentucky Office of Charitable Gaming.
“It is fairly new, and we are having to wait and see if its popularity continues, but the general feeling is it could become as or more popular as bingo, given time,” Royalty said.
It’s easy to see why.
LaSalle High School in Monfort Heights had its first Texas Hold ‘Em tournament last March, making it one of the first local organizations to do so.
In January, the school held a bigger, three-day tournament with more than 600 players. Associate Director of Development Matt Dierkers estimates that it netted the school’s athletic program close to $30,000.
That’s $10,000 a night, and you can’t make that kind of money hosting a bingo. According to charitable gaming records, one of Northern Kentucky’s most consistently successful bingo operations, the Glenn Cole Evangelistic Association, made less than $3,000 a night at its twice-weekly sessions in Covington last year.
Great introduction to the game, in a few paragraphs. Still, this is a kick in the gut for people who think that they’re being some kind of desperado by playing poker–in fact they are just another source of revenue for governments and charitable organizations. There are worse things in life, of course, but this bit of self-knowledge might prove a bit disconcerting for some.