MENTION poker and images of Monte Carlo, James Bond, impossibly glamorous women and astronomically high stakes spring to mind.
But Scottish pubs have now emerged as an unlikely home of the card game. A pub poker league, which allows experts and beginners alike to compete, has taken the nation's bars by storm.
In just two years, the league has become a social phenomenon, g
oing from nothing to 80 venues taking part, with new ones opening every month.
Potential players should forget any ideas of raking in chips worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and driving away in someone else's Aston Martin: most players gamble £5 for a night's fun and are unlikely to win more than £70.
The pub poker league was introduced to the UK as an investment opportunity on BBC2's Dragon's Den. Aided by changes in the Gaming Act 2005, which allowed gambling in bars, it has become a big hit.
The rules are strict: no one is allowed to gamble more than £5 a game and no bar is allowed to have more than £100 total winnings available on a single night.
The relative lack of risk has drawn many beginners to the game, who know they can learn the principles of poker without losing their home, car and marriage in the process.
Players enjoy the competitive element and the added bonus of knowing that there is the opportunity to go home a little richer. The result is a truly diverse poker experience – no longer is poker a game for the tuxedo-wearing high-roller or the hardened gambler – it is a game for the pensioner who forgot his dominos, the teacher who has finished his marking, and the barmaid with the night off.
Tuesday night at the Antiquary Bar in Edinburgh is typical of a pub poker league session. Seats are allocated to each of the 20-plus players with the more experienced gamers guiding the rookies through the rules. Each player's £5 is put into a central pot and divided into prizes for the winners.
The winner on Tuesday night was English teacher Chris Wright. After buying the runner-up a drink, he said: "The league's great fun. I play at a couple of different venues and at the start it really helped me to learn. Now it's fun because I win." Chris left with a respectable £60 and the league trophy.
Stuart McKay, the league's manager in Glasgow, said: "It's brought together people who would typically sit apart in the pub. One guy who was suffering from depression told me it changed his life – he now feels part of the shared community. And it's not just for men. Our latest champion is a woman."
And pub landlords are also on a winning streak. Most of the games run midweek, when pubs are otherwise quiet, and thirsty players make sure the takings are up.
Avril McKnight, the Antiquary's landlady, said: "We were trying to think of things to make us busier at the start of the week. We heard about the poker and thought it was a good idea. Not only has it made the place busier and made us more money, but it's also created an atmosphere which people are enjoying."
Steve Bellis, the league founder, said: "We offer a great night out where you can play against people from all walks of life and age ranges. A lot of our players have expanded their social circle and find it easy to make new friends at our events."
The league has brought about a huge increase in female participation. The laid-back environment and enthusiasm for the game is attracting new players, and incidents of competing couples has led to good– humoured threats of who would be doing the dishes that night.
So does poker in pubs make the casinos nervous?
Davy Fallon, the Cardroom Manager at Edinburgh's Circus Casino claims it is helping the industry: "I think The Nuts Poker League is a great idea. I don't think it's bad socially in terms of gambling because people have the choice of whether they want to pay or play for free. Having that choice takes away the gambling problem."
However, some see a rise in gambling as potentially dangerous.
Morag Mylne, the convener of the church and society council of the Church of Scotland, said: "The Church of Scotland is particularly concerned with the effect of gambling on vulnerable people, and on young people who are already relatively poor – it offers false hope as a route out of poverty."
Major Ivor Telfer, the West Scotland divisional commander of the Salvation Army Scotland, added: "We are concerned with the how gambling is being normalised in Scotland. It is becoming a way of life – you can't go anywhere without the opportunity to gamble. We are also concerned about the mixing of gambling with alcohol. Many of the people we help at the Salvation Army have become addicted to both alcohol and gambling."
