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 he Guardian Poker Column |
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| Victoria
Coren |
| Friday Sep 22nd, 2006
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How to play poker
(How to play has been running from issue 16) |
The European Poker Tour hits London this week. This annual series of
live televised tournaments (which kicked off last week in Barcelona, and will
continue with events in Baden, Dublin, Copenhagen and Deauville before
finishing with a grand final in Monte Carlo next March) has been quickly
established as one of the most important series in the calendar. It is an
impressive rival to the much-toasted World Poker Tour, which, despite its name,
takes place almost exclusively in the US. I guess Americans were never afraid
to call something "the world" when they meant, basically,
America.
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There are various reasons for the EPT's
triumph over other would-be European series. (Barcelona was a sell-out, with
players queuing for return tickets like a frenzied crowd outside the first
night of Cats.) It is the brainchild of a poker player rather than a lofty
businessman: John Duthie understands what players want. It has an experienced
tournament director, Thomas Kremser, who is widely respected in Europe and
famous for his other televised poker work. And its internet sponsor,
PokerStars, can always guarantee a strong supply of online qualifiers.
One hundred and seven of the players in Barcelona had won "packages" on
PokerStars (travel, accommodation and entry fees) for as little as $13 instead
of paying the full €5,000 buy-in. One of them, who rejoices in the name of
Jon Dull, as if he were an internet poker player in a Martin Amis novel,
finished seventh and won €92,000. It is often said that "the information
superhighway" is democratising the world; this is equally true when it makes
big-league international tournaments accessible for small-time recreational
players.
If you want to try this (qualifiers are running now for Baden
and Dublin; look on the downloaded site under "EPT"), I have one crucial piece
of advice. This also applies if you are not attempting to win an international
title, but just making the jump from internet poker to any live game. Practise
at home with chips. You must be able to move them easily and cleanly. In live
games, if chips are not placed in one clear movement, it's a "string bet" and
doesn't go. Also, a classic "tell" of a bluff is to lose motor skills and
fumble with chips; this is especially dangerous when you're not used to them.
It may feel daft, but I strongly recommend buying a cheap set of poker
chips and using them while you play an online tournament. Before pressing the
button to make your bet, physically move the correct chips forward. This
practice will put you in good stead when you set out to become European
champion, or just go round to play at your mate Jim's house. It can also
benefit your online play: if you remove chips from the table when you lose a
pot, you maintain a clear visual indication of your stack's health.
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