"I've been playing consistently since before that happened," he said.
By "that," he means the explosion of interest in anything related to poker, the most basic and accessible of serious card games.
Thanks to a number of factors -- generational tastes, televised events, colorful players -- poker, Texas Hold 'Em, has been the rage for the past year or so.
It's visible everywhere, from high-school cafeterias to college dorms and makeshift basement casinos, from the high ratings of televised events to the cult poker film "Rounders" that video stores have a tough time keeping in stock. It thrives in casinos and local tournaments as charities jump on the wave of popularity.
The Grand Rapids Jaycees hosted a tournament Friday, and the Grand Rapids Griffins hosted a tournament Saturday.
"It has changed my business completely," said Kurt Orosz of A-1 Bingo Supplies and Elliott Bingo Supplies. "Bingo has definitely taken a back seat."
In the last year, almost all of his 38 Texas Hold 'Em tables have been rented out every weekend for private parties, corporate events, charities and fundraisers. "It's very profitable for VFW halls because they get the older people and the younger people."
As TV shows continue to pop up, so does the popularity, he said. "It's been crazy," he said. "I'm almost waiting for it to crash because it has built so fast, but I don't see any signs of it slowing down."
Hot Right Now sponsored by:
In Texas Hold'em, you can sometimes bluff-bet if the flop contains an ace. Your opponents will often fold in such a situation if they don't have any pairs or an open ended straight, because it's impossible for them to have any over cards when the flop contains an ace. Please note that this will only work if your opponents aren't too many or too loose.
