Back in the early 2000s, the gambling industry was booming thanks to a surging international interest in poker. A big player (no pun intended) in that increase in popularity was the establishment of the World Poker Tour, which was founded in the States in 2002. It would eventually get bought out seven years later by the folks at PartyGaming, but its passionate fan base remains in addition to, you know, the fact that it's a great (and easy!) game to play with your flatmates.
Really, all you need to do to play poker is make sure you have the following supplies in your common space at all times and you are good to go:
- Snacks - There is no poker game without a good portion of snacks strewn across the table, floor, wherever you are playing. Make them extra salty—pretzels and nuts are the go-to choices—so you'll be enticed to imbibe more...
- Beer - Obviously you need to have a few brews on tap (well, not literally unless you have the means) for you and your friends. Only in moderation, of course.
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- Chips - Every good game of poker needs a decent set of chips and you can actually get pretty great ones online for cheap. You don't have to go all out if you're living on a budget, so be sure to purchase within your means.
- Cards - Chances are high that you already own playing cards, but if not, what the heck are ya' waiting for? Get 'em already and make sure you have a few decks just to be safe. You might end up with a few beer-soaked cards if the night gets rowdy.
Once you have all the goods in place, now you just need to make sure that your crew knows how to play. Well, lucky for you that the Internet exists and people have created online tutorials on YouTube, which means you won't be bickering over the rules 30 minutes in. You can watch the tutorial below.
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Now that you're ready to play with your buds, how about when you're getting bit by the gambling bug but no one is around? No worries there, either. Hell, you might just feel like playing by yourself (or practicing for your next game with your friends!), anyway. To do that, you can always head to online casino Bet Fair to get your game on. In addition to poker and other table games, there are a slew of slot options with some pretty slick pop culture themes. We get the feeling that the comic book lovers out there with a soft-spot for gambling will be especially intrigued.
For all New Jersey college residents, aged 21 years and over, you’ll enjoy countless slot games, roulette, blackjack and video poker at harrahscasino.com, and a number of promotions making your investments worth-while.
Here's the thing: Just make sure you don't end up royally screwed like Justin Timberlake's character in the new film Runner Runner. Don't worry, you should be fine as long as you don't spend all your money at the tables, be it online or in real life. Also, that was a movie and, yeah, stuff like that doesn't happen outside of screenplays.
Just be sure to remember that there are restrictions to gambling in Ireland. For example, the banker or promoter of a game of poker cannot have any share in the portion of the pot. And if you find yourself in a private club that offers some different gambling options, make sure you're 21 years of age. Otherwise, be prepared to be met with a hearty "piss off!" (and more, we're sure) by whoever you're trying to pull a fast one on. In other words, don't be an idiot.
