Poker: High Stakes

Published on Saturday, November 26, 2005 2:54:00 PM

Poker has long been a staple in American entertainment, with most contemporary games taking place among friends seeking fellowship without spending a lot of money. Friendly games usually involved colored plastic chips or pocket change, and even the big losers go home at the end of the evening with more money than they would have had left after dinner and a movie.

Of course, there have always been high-stakes games among those who can afford to lose and those who cannot, but get in the game anyway. Such marathons have long been relegated to smoky back rooms or lavish suites in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, but now the lure of the high-rollers’ table has gone mainstream. Poker has become the latest craze, with televised tournaments featuring brooding players in mirrored sunglasses with thousands of dollars at stake with every hand. We’ve read about young poker millionaires who have honed their skills and won untold amounts in Internet poker games, where anyone with a modem and a credit card is welcome at virtual table, where they may win - or, more likely, lose - unlimited amounts of cold, hard cash.

None of this has missed the attention of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, who operate three gambling establishments in Alabama courtesy of the national Indian Gaming Commission. The tribe is now awaiting a ruling from the commission on its designation for poker; if the commission identifies the game as a Class II endeavor, such as bingo and other “games of chance,” the tribe is poised to add live poker games in its Atmore, Montgomery and Wetumpka gambling houses. The addition of live poker certainly won’t hurt the chances that a proposed $120 million venture with Harrah’s Entertainment will come to fruition.

Dothaneagle has the full story. Click here.