Birmingham Post-Herald

Hands down
Poker's popularity fuels friendships

By LEIGH ANNE MONITOR
March 4, 2005

"Fat, rich old men slump in Hawaiian shirts, Cuban cigars in hand. They joke, jeer and grumble as they replace one hand of cards with another.

This is the old image of poker, a card game in which your hand isn't always as important as your bluff.

That old image is long gone.

Now, college students catch up with their high school buds through the game. Twentysomethings with young babies and disposable income square off weekly at home. They even look for nonsmoking poker-playing pals.

They find each other on-line, such as through the Birmingham poker group on Meetup.com. A dozen Birmingham-area card games need new members, according to Web sites.

Many in this new poker breed said they don't gamble to keep their cars or houses, but for the thrill and for friendship, they said..."

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