With the current craze over the World Poker Tour, the World Series of Poker and even the television show “Celebrity Poker Showdown.” many students have poker on the brain. Gerald Fu, a Thurgood Marshall College sophomore, is no exception. As one of the founders of the UCSD Poker Society, Fu regularly gets together to play with other students. But rather than just letting flushes and full houses float through his mind, Fu cashed in on his love of the game and won $50,000 in an online poker tournament.
The Million Dollar online tournament was held on Party Poker, a Web site that allows players to play other people live, for free or for money. Just like in a regular game of poker, the player can see the cards on the table and what the other players are betting, but is unable to see their cards. For students who are under 21 or would rather not drive hours to Las Vegas, online tournaments allow anyone over 18 to play in the comfort of his or her home. Though Websites offer a variety of poker games, Fu sticks to Texas Hold’em.
“There are usually like 20,000 people playing at one time,” Fu said. “There is a ton of money out there to be won.”
And win money is exactly what Fu did. He placed seventh in a smaller satellite tournament earlier this year, which won him a free seat in the Million Dollar tournament.
The Million Dollar tournament started with 2,000 players and the top winner was guaranteed at least $1 million. The contestants are at one of many tables of 10 players, which dwindle in participants throughout the rounds until only one table is left. Fu placed sixth overall and took home $50,000 in winnings.
“You have to be a little lucky to get that far,” Fu said. “But you’ve got to know when to pick your spots.”
Surprisingly, Fu is new to the game.
“I just started playing this school year,” he said. “A bunch of guys from Marshall got together, so I played and started learning. It’s a great game.”
Fu will not be sporting gold watches any time soon though — he intends to invest the money to pay for college.
“I’m more levelheaded,” he said. “I don’t want to get anything fancy.”
Texas Hold’em is different from traditional poker in that each player is dealt only two cards and five community cards are placed in the center of the table. The first three cards are dealt to the center, which is called the flop. After a round of betting, the fourth card — the turn — is placed. Another round of betting brings the fifth card, which is called the river. The players are allowed one more round of betting before they must show their cards. The winning hand is the best combination of five cards on the table. In the rare case that the five cards showing on the table make the best combination, the remaining players split the pot.
The rules are simple, but the finer nuances of the game are difficult to master.
“Learning to play winning Texas Hold’em requires reading and studying,” Bill Burton, author of “Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em” said. “If you read just one book about the game, you will be ahead of about 80 percent of the other payers at the table. Spending the money for a good poker book is a lot cheaper than trying to get your education at the tables in a live game.”
But for a little real-world practice, the UCSD Poker Society is hosting the Spring Poker Classic on May 23. The event will feature a no-limit Texas Hold’em tournament in which everyone will receive the same number of chips to start. Tickets are $20 at the UCSD box office and the tournament will be held at Viejas Casino. For driving directions, visit http://www.viejas.com.
