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Maryann Guberman has been a writer and editor with many gaming publications, including Sports Form, Card Player, Poker World, Player's Panorama and Systems and Methods. She also has written and edited numerous books on gambling.

Sept 12, 2009

What Does the Future Hold for Poker?

There's no doubt that poker is in our lives for the long haul so the debate no longer exists. What we wonder, however, is how the game will play out since at least two debates continue. The first focuses on the question about the attitude and demeanor of today's poker pro, and the second concentrates on the continued existence of public poker rooms, particularly in Nevada.

It's likely that anyone over the age of 30 (oh, let's say over the age of 40 since 30 seems to be the new 20) has something negative to say about the jackass behavior of those tournament players (and often live game players, since there is a trickle-down effect going on here) who have to pound their chests and otherwise express their pleasures with high-fives when the cards fall in their favor.

Maybe it is a generation gap issue going on here. You know, like, you see what I'm talking about, baggy-pants-below-the hips, neck-full-of-bling, gold-capped-teeth kind of gap? Those of us who suffered through years of abuse because we liked to play and win at poker do have a subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) attitude toward the kids who downloaded some software and became instant winners in a game that took us (and is still taking us) years to master. It's possible we're working out some subconscious jealousy factor here, driven by the age difference and fueled by the fact that these youngsters are smarter and better than we are.

What I wonder is whether these same kids would bring this same conduct to church if they suddenly became infatuated with religion. Oh, I know, that's a stretch. Frankly, I don't blame the players; I place it all on the shoulders of the tournament directors, the TV personalities and an audience that can't appreciate the subtleties of poker and need additional stimuli for their satisfaction.

So it is and so it will be.

As for the future of poker rooms, I predict we will see some of them falling out of favor among the bean pushers in the accounting rooms of the casinos, unless someone can show them in black and white (and absolutely no red) how the existence of poker players enhances the bottom line of the table games or the slots.

Numbers have never been my favorite say to get from A to B, but I know if I owned some valuable space in the casino, I'd prefer to have penny slot machines that requires up to 50 pennies on 9 lines rather than three or four poker tables filled with people nursing their social security checks and hoping to play long enough to get a buffet comp.

That's just the way a successful business has to remain successful. Sure, customer service is important and it's nice to accommodate every customer, and it's absolutely imperative that you don't let a high roller go across the street to play poker because you don't have a game, but ... add up those pennies and it isn't even a wash.

Frankly, I see poker tables beginning to morph into slot machines once again.

Now, I could be wrong. As my faithful reader(s) know, I'm wrong quite often, and when I am I admit it. I hope I get to eat my words on this one.