Published 2005-09-21T00:00:00Z”/>

Jonathan Parkin<br>Staff Writer

No-limit Texas hold ’em has been a popular card game for more than 100 years. But the game is changing. With the addition of televised weekly poker tournaments on ESPN’s “World Series of Poker,” hold ’em players are turning the game into a sport.

More people are drawn to the sport after seeing the game’s fast, aggressive and highly competitive nature. Chico State students are no exception. Weekly poker parties and frequent trips to nearby casinos are the norm.

Angela Kaye Harris, Chico resident and owner of Angie’s Poker Club, thinks that because people are treating poker like it’s a sport, it will keep gaining popularity.

“Hold ’em is such a fast-pace game. A lot of hands are dealt,” Harris said. “And it’s so damn competitive.”

Harris has kept Angie’s Poker Club in business for the past eight years and has witnessed an increase in the games popularity.

“With ESPN running the ‘World Series of Poker’ on its regular programming, we are getting a lot of newcomers to the game and we love it.” Harris said.

Harris does not target Chico State students directly through her advertisements, but she says more young people are walking through her doors looking to get into a tournament.

Nick Burger, a senior and former Wildcat baseball All-American, explains that people are attracted to Texas hold ’em because of its aggressive nature.

“It’s competitive and there’s always some drama,” Burger said. “When it comes to a one-on-one battle, there is going to be some sore losers.”

A fierce competitor on the baseball diamond, Burger takes that same mentality to the poker table.

“As a kid, I always dreamt of winning the World Series pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers,” Burger said. “Now I dream of winning the World Series of Poker, going all-in with my lucky pocket sevens.”

Texas hold ’em is different than most card games because players go at each other and not the house. Players can analyze each other’s playing habits.

“Hold ’em is awesome because there is so many different aspects,” Burger said. “If you’re good, you can calculate players’ odds of having a solid hand or manipulate them into thinking you’ve got one.”

Jason Hyland, a senior criminal justice major, is another hold ’em fan.

“My brother got me into it a few years ago,” Hyland said. “When I came to Chico, I got addicted.”

Hyland approaches big hands he is dealt as if each were a crucial ninth inning at bat.

“The stakes are high, and the pressure of having a monster hand is exciting,” he said.

Hyland transferred to Chico State two years ago from the University of Tampa, where he said poker wasn’t nearly as popular.

“Most of my buddies play now. It’s fun to have bragging rights if you take home a big pot,” Hyland said. “It’s not all about the money either. It’s fun and entertaining.”

Texas Hold ’em has long been popular with college students, but it now seems to be popping up more than ever because of ESPN, Hyland said.

The way games are progressing, it looks like players will be hanging on for years to come.

Jonathan Parkin can be reached at

<a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>