Poker Mania in India

Poker seems to have really caught on in India, I think receiving an invite to play on a completely "Indian" poker site signals the advent of poker mania. What began as a simple friendly pass time a year and half back has now become a virulent passion amongst the rest of the junta. We began as 5 friends who wanted to kill time every other Friday night. Today I get calls from other friends who organize 70-100 people tournaments in fancy hotels and people are ready to pay for thrill of the win.

So why does poker evoke such passion, its know to cut across all boundaries, women seem to enjoy it too! Isn't it just another card game and a gambling habit. Well it's both and a lot more. Just like Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum is the thinking man Da Vinci Code, poker is gambling card game which requires a lot neurons up there and a lot of balls down there. It easy to pick up but very hard to master. It just doesn't involve learning what to do with your cards but also involves knowing what to do with your opponents twitches and body movement. It even involves some maths, ohh that painful little branch called probability. People who would curse maths, live by it and can calculate within seconds the odds of a card coming on the poker table (Much like that Gujju trader who may have failed his 12th but still make shit loads of more money than you on the market and knows all the bhavs).

All in all its a fun time to be a poker fan in India. Things are looking up, from back room private tables at peoples homes to well organized tournaments like a pro sport things are moving quickly. I think its time we got our own entry leg into the WSOP. What say guys Ive been hearing it for a long time, someone better make it happen.