New Poker Players Drawn to Indian Tribe Gambling Casinos
Much of the growth in poker games and other forms of casino gambling can be attributed to Indian casinos winning full legal rights to operate and expand in the late 1990s. But it also has to do with the recent renaissance of poker, which has evolved into a sport played out in high-profile tournaments like the World Series of Poker and Celebrity Poker Showdown. Online venues for poker players have also fueled the trend. This wave of attention on the game has spread quickly, bringing a new clientele to Southern California's poker tables.
Marlene Hoffman, a real-estate agent in Montebello, has been driving her father to the Commerce Casino for years. Not until six months ago did she sit down at the table.
"Fifteen years ago, there were no women," she said. "They just had a women's tournament here, and there were 175 women. I was shocked." Women play tough, she added.
"These men think they're going to back you off, but once you show them you're not afraid, they back off," she said.
Edward Solis, a warehouse supervisor from South Los Angeles, had been playing Mexican poker for years in garage games. But about a year ago, a friend got him to come play at a casino. Now he's hooked.
"I was coming three or four times a week," he said, "but my wife got laid off, so now I come once a week. He said he is up overall, winning almost $400 on a good day."
Commerce Casino manager Tim Gustin has been working at the house since 1988, and has seen the level of acceptance of gambling change over the years. "It's become an accepted form of entertainment."
"The clientele used to be mostly older guys who learned to play in the service. Now it's a lot of young people, ethnically mixed."
July 9, 2006
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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