AMARI: Texas Hold ‘em is a game with sev...

AMARI: Texas Hold ‘em is a game with seven cards. For those of you not in the know it’s a kind of poker. But not any kind. It is the most popular form of poker in casinos and card rooms across North America and Europe. And not just in casinos and card rooms – online too. It’s estimated that about six million people play Texas Hold’em on line everyday. Many of these are boys and girls our age.

KELLY-ANNE: We’re too young to go to the casino.

AMARI: So if you hear the busy click-click of a mouse coming from little Jenny’s or Jonny’s room – don’t get too worried. They’re probably just on Facebook playing Texas Hold ‘em with

KELLY-ANNE: Sapan from India

AMARI: Anas from Saudi Arabia

KELLY-ANNE: and Matthew from Pittsburgh.

AMARI: Although little is known about the invention of Texas hold 'em, according to Wikipedia the Texas State Legislature officially recognizes Robstown, Texas as the game's birthplace. It’s also where I was born.

KELLY-ANNE LAUGHS.

AMARI: Something amusing you.

KELLY-ANNE: Nothing.

KELLY-ANNE KEEPS LAUGHING.

AMARI: What is it?

KELLY-ANNE: That’s pretty obvious.

AMARI: What is?

KELLY-ANNE: It’s called Texas Hold’em. Pretty obvious it was invented in Texas.

AMARI: See this isn’t going to work.

KELLY-ANNE: What?

AMARI: It’s not going to work if you keep butting in.

KELLY-ANNE: I’m not.

AMARI: Yes you are. We agreed you’d let me tell it.

KELLY-ANNE: I’m letting you

AMARI: Then stop butting in.

KELLY-ANNE: Just want to make sure you tell it right.

AMARI: And I will – but you gotta let me.

KELLY-ANNE: Okay.

AMARI: Okay.

AMARI TURNS TO FACE THE AUDIENCE.

AMARI: Now, where was I?

KELLY-ANNE: Robstown.

AMARI: Thank you. Robstown, Texas was the game's birthplace back in the early 1900s. After its invention in Texas, Hold 'em was introduced to Las Vegas in 1967 by a group of Texan gamblers and card players, including Crandell Addington, Doyle Brunson, and Amarillo Slim. And that’s where I come in. I’m named after him - Amarillo Slim. But you can call me Amari.

KELLY-ANNE COUGHS.

AMARI: I guess my Dad wanted a boy –

KELLY-ANNE COUGHS AGAIN.

AMARI: What is it now?

KELLY-ANNE: You have to introduce me too.

AMARI: Oh, I’m sorry. This is Kelly-Anne. And she ain’t named after anybody. Back to the story. I guess my Dad wanted a boy but then he thought ‘Well Amarillo can be a girls’ name too” – which I guess it can. So he kept it. Or I kept it. You know what I mean. But that’s all just history – what you want to know is what makes Texas Hold’em so good. Much better than regular poker. When Crandell Addington first saw Hold ‘em played in 1959 he said:

KELLY-ANNE: (AS ADDINGTON) They didn't call it Texas hold 'em at the time, they just called it Hold 'em... I thought then that if it were to catch on, it would become the game. Draw poker, you only bet twice; Hold 'em, you bet four times. That meant you could play strategically. This was more of a thinking man's game.

AMARI: I don’t know about thinking man’s game. Or a thinking ladies’ game. But it is a good game. There are two things that make it so good. First it’s bigger than regular poker.

KELLY-ANNE: Everything is.

AMARI: What?

KELLY-ANNE: In Texas. Everything is. Bigger.

AMARI: In regular poker you only get five cards but in Texas Hold’em you get seven.

KELLY-ANNE: (HOLDING UP FINGERS) Seven.

PAUSE. AMARI WAITS FOR SOMETHING.

AMARI: That’s your cue.

KELLY-ANNE: What?

AMARI: Seven.

KELLY-ANNE: Seven?

AMARI: That’s your cue. For the …

KEELY-ANNE: Oh. Sorry.

KELLY-ANNE PRODUCES A DECK OF CARDS. SHE MOVES TO THE TABLE AND STARTS LAYING OUT CARDS.

AMARI: (TO AUDIENCE) But you don’t get all seven cards at once. At the start you just get dealt two cards.

KELLY-ANNE: Now?

AMARI: Yes Kelly-A. Now.

KELLY-ANNE DEALS TWO CARDS TO EACH OF THEM.

AMARI: These are known as your hole or pocket cards. The best starting hand you can get is double Aces. Also known as “pocket rockets”

KELLY-ANNE: Or “American Airlines.”

AMARI: Then comes king-king

KELLY-ANNE: “King Kong”

AMARI: And next –

KELLY-ANNE: “Ladies” –

AMARI: Pair of Queens. So once everybody has their two cards, then comes the flop.

KELLY-ANNE DEALS THREE CARDS FACE UP ON THE TABLE.

AMARI: These are community cards which means they’re available to every player. The idea is to make up the best hand you can using your pocket cards and what’s on the table. But it’s not done yet. Next up the dealer gives you a fourth community card.

KELLY-ANNE DOES SO.

AMARI: This is called the “turn”.

KELLY-ANNE: Or “fourth street.”

AMARI: No it ain’t.

KELLY-ANNE: Yes it is.

AMARI: I never heard it called “fourth street”. Who called it “fourth street”?

KELLY-ANNE: If you don’t believe me look it up.

AMARI: Okay. Okay. The fourth card is called the “turn” or “fourth street”. This is a chance to use the four cards now on offer to everybody, with the cards you got in your hand, to make an ever better hand. But we’re not done yet. There is one last community card. This is called –

KELLY-ANNE: “Fifth street.”

KELLY-ANNE DEALS THE FIFTH CARD FACE UP. AMARI LOOKS AT HER.

KELLY-ANNE: It is. Look it up.

AMARI: Okay. Some people – a very small some – may call it “fifth street” but the fifth card is more commonly known around the world by lots and lots and lots of people as the “river.” And as a player you either hate it or you love it. And that changes all the time. It can either save you or kill you – depending on what you’ve got and what the other player’s around the table have got. So after the river is dealt you once more calculate your best possible hand and then comes the showdown. This is when the last player’s remaining – the ones who haven’t folded like pussys – show their hole cards and the player with the best hand wins the pot. That’s the other great thing about Hold ‘em – the betting. Like ol’ Crandell Addington said. In regular poker you only get to bet two times. But in Hold ‘em you get can bet four times. (TO KELLY-ANNE) Raise you 50.

KELLY-ANNE: Raise?

AMARI: I’m betting.

KELLY-ANNE: I didn’t know we were betting. I just thought we were showing the audience how to play.

AMARI: We were. But I got such a good hand.

AMARI PUTS DOWN HER CARDS.

AMARI: Full house. Jacks to tens.

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