Finally the days of smoke filled dingy backstreet rooms where poker games are played under the shadow of darkness may be a thing of the past. That description incidentally relates to my sitting room and unpaid electricity bill!
The government we hear are considering to permit small stake gambling on poker games in pubs from next autumn - a move that could see the card game become as much a part of pub culture as quiz nights and darts (mind you it’s almost impossible to find a pub with a dart board in London!)
As the game of poker increases in popularity thanks to it’s on line and on screen presence more and more people want to indulge in a game while having a pint!
Under the government's proposals, drinkers' potential losses would be capped at about £10 in an evening - a measure designed to keep the initiative more sociable rather than encourage heavy gaming.
In anticipation of new gambling rules, hundreds of pubs have already signed up to a handful of national pub poker leagues anticipating the pumps to be busy to quench the thirst of the busy card players. Points will be up for offer rather than cash (Yes that’s points not pints!) This means the leagues will operate within current legislation.
The leagues typically claim to operate within current legislation because participants play for points, not cash.
Pub poker is still only a small part of the game's new-found popularity. The government estimates 1m regular UK internet gamblers are staking an average of £1,000 a year online. Also packs of poker chips were among the top selling gifts last Christmas and are expected to do well again in 2006.
