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Forget basketball, baseball -- and definitely hockey. Poker is the most popular game in North America right now. Televised poker matches -- in which celebrities and professionals play for big bucks -- have drawn huge ratings, inspiring young and old to seek that elusive royal flush, whether that's at a casino, on the Internet or in a friend's home. Sun columnist Eric Francis writes about poker's exploding popularity in this special five-part series. Also check out new columnist Daniel Negreanu, the 2004-05 World Poker Tour Player of the Year, who shares his winning strategies.
Having just completed extensive renovations to place a state-of-the-art poker room in the heart of the casino, MGM Grand is one of many Vegas hotels cashing in on the game's shocking new popularity.
It is there, in the casino's first poker room, customers sitting in plush seating amongst eight high-definition TVs can enjoy endless drinks and massages while throwing cards around marble-rimmed tables.
In just a few short years, poker has gone from being Vegas' lost game to its premier attraction.
"Three years ago, only three casinos in Vegas had poker rooms," explained Stampede Casino manager Rod Proudfoot.
"Now everyone is getting them in there. For decades, poker was such a loss leader (a product or service sold at a substantial discount in order to generate additional sales). It's all about real estate and, until now, poker hasn't paid its way."
Nowadays casinos can't afford not to host poker tables.
It wasn't all that long ago those looking for a poker game around Vegas or Calgary had few options.
However, poker on the Internet and television has spurred an explosion of popularity that will see the World Series of Poker No Limit Texas Hold 'Em championship go from 2,600 entrants last year to almost 6,600 next month.
Unlike other more lucrative table games such as blackjack or Pai Gow, the casino only takes a tiny cut of poker action -- in Alberta, the 'rake' from every hand is 5%, up to $5.
What's more, every dime of tournament entry fees must be paid out in prizes. Still, it has become a crucial tool in adding 'lift' to casino traffic, which inevitably increases play at VLTs and other tables.
"It's not a big moneymaker for us but it's an important part of the entertainment experience," said Proudfoot, standing in the recently added poker room addition the Stampede built at a cost of almost $1 million two months ago.
"It's a great way to bring new people into the casino, especially in Alberta, which is the hotspot for poker in Canada."
Serious poker players in Calgary have long visited the Cash or Elbow River Casinos, which have also experienced tremendous boosts in crowds.
Elbow Casino's assistant poker manager Remi Tetreault says his tables have been "insanely busy" of late.
"Probably five times bigger than poker has ever been," said Tetreault, who has overseen the Elbow Casino's nine tables for five years.
"Right now, it's crucial to us."
In two weeks time, the Elbow's poker room will double in size when it moves to its new digs a couple blocks down on Macleod Trail and 17 Ave. S.W.
The plan is to get much more involved in tournaments there.
Cash Casino has long hosted daily tourneys as well as the largest one in Canada last February.
Cash's poker pit boss Ken Moffatt is amazed by poker's renaissance.
"I hear we used to have two or three tables at the most going every day a few years ago but now if we get 80 people or less, it's a slow afternoon," he said.
Next month, while cowboys vie for $50,000 prizes and belt buckles at the rodeo, similar cash will be offered across the parking lot at the Stampede Classic where organizer Randy Hewines expects the biggest enrolment in Canadian history.
"Calgary has been hosting tournament poker longer than any place in the country and cash games bigger than anywhere else," said Hewines of the Canadian Poker Tour, which will offer $70,000 first prize at Cash Casino June 24 and will be televised on Rogers Sportsnet.
"This is all new to the rest of the country outside of Calgary. Ontario and B.C. are just growing."
And growing and growing ...
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COUNT IT UP!
Estimated number
of online POKER players:
September 2004 -- 1.235 million
January 2005 -- 1.639 million
May 2005 -- 1.841 million
NUMBER of online players active the last 24 hours:
212,345,043
Estimated total prizes in online poker events since October 2003
$172 million US
NUMBER OF ONLINE TOURNEY PLAYERS
YESTERDAY: 43,548
NUMBER OF POKER TABLES IN LAS VEGAS
Mirage -- 31
Bellagio -- 30
Wynn -- 27
MGM Grand -- 23
Orleans -- 23
Excalibur -- 20
Binions --14
Harrah's -- 10
Rio -- 10
31 others with two or more (Source: pokerpulse.com)