Poker Corner

This issue's column was going to be about how to build poker bankroll, but in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina it seems a bit frivolous to give serious thought to the game of poker. Real life often reminds us of what is truly important, and what is happening to the people along the Gulf Coast makes the trials and tribulations of the poker table immediately fade into insignificance. The ability to keep a run of bad breaks in the proper perspective is important to a player's long-term success, and if you ever needed help in getting a grip just turn on CNN for a few minutes. Though the horrible images coming out of New Orleans might, to steal a quote from Spinal Tap, be "too much, too much fucking perspective".

Where poker originated is more than a bit murky, but New Orleans is generally thought of as the place where the game was introduced to the United States, in the early 1800s. Back then the game was played with just 20 cards (A-K-Q-J-10), and it spread up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers on the steamboats that churned their way north and south. Trains, both wagon and steam, took the game out West, and by the 1830s the traditional 52-card deck was in use.

The popularity of poker boomed during the Civil War, where bored soldiers on both sides introduced stud and draw poker variations to the game, as well a new winning hand called the "straight" which had never been recognized before. As mores in the South changed, gambling became frowned upon, and in time San Francisco and, later, Las Vegas became the centers of the poker universe. But this past year New Orleans once again hosted one of the biggest events in the game, as the World Series of Poker played one of their circuit events at Harrah's New Orleans. That was the last episode before the official WSOP coverage began, where Walter Chambers outlasted Corry Bierra (both LSU grads) to win a cool $739,340.

The riverboat gambler is as much an American archetype as the cowboy, and both characters share a similar, solitary ethos of individualism, confidence, and coolness under fire. Those are the same qualities that are so admired in today's poker superstars; men (and, increasingly, women) who live life on their own terms, risking vast sums on the turn of a card and going into battle armed only with brains and heart. It's a zero-sum game, you win what others lose, everyone out for themselves, dog eat dog. Which is, of course, the exact opposite attitude that's appropriate when so many people need so much help.

Not every poker game is a cutthroat battle to the death. Lots of people relax by breaking out a deck of cards and setting out the chips, and lifelong friendships can be made while sitting around the green felt. The game is fun, the game is social, it's a chance to kibitz and laugh and bitch and boast. How much money you win or lose isn't the point—it's all about having a good time. When I play with my friends and we're tossing in our buy-in it's inevitable that someone will say, "Here's my donation" as the bill flutters onto the table.

Well, if you're the sort of player who usually does the donating, here's an opportunity to give your money to people far more worthy than your degenerate buddies. PokerStars.com is sponsoring two tournaments on September 12th and on September 14-16 at 9:30PM ET, where all proceeds (along with a 100% match by PokerStars) will be donated to the American Red Cross. The tournaments are hosted by actor/writer/poker player Wil Wheaton and while you won't walk away with a big check, there will be prizes given to the winners. The tournaments can be found under the "Tourney" and "Special" tabs.

Party Poker is hosting a $30 charity tournament on Wednesday, September 7th, at 8:50 ET, with 90% of the prize pool going to help Katrina victims. Full Tilt Poker hosted similar tournaments last week and gave nickel-dime players a chance to sit down and play against big-name pros like Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Erick Lindgren, and Phil Gordon. If you play online you should keep an eye out for more tournaments like these and donate a bit of your bankroll to those who so desperately need it. Generosity is almost always rewarded in kind by the Poker Gods. Almost. So make an investment in your karmic bank and, more importantly, help out those in need.