Poker gains popularity in Montana

ROCKVALE, Mont. – Josh Gleason knew he was onto something when people were waiting around – on some nights, an hour or so – for a seat at his poker table in this blink-and-miss-it town in southern Montana.

Now, nearly three months after setting up a table in a corner of the Fort Rockvale Restaurant and Casino, Gleason is getting another. He’s betting interest in Texas Hold ‘Em will remain high enough to continue attracting commuters, locals and tourists and to make dealing worth his while.

“It really blew up,” he said. “We weren’t expecting it to go as good as it did.”

Poker, a game some Montana card room and tavern operators practically begged people to play just a few years ago, is enjoying newfound popularity here and nationwide, spurred in large part by the televised games played by Hollywood celebrities and the high-stakes drama of the big-money World Series of Poker.

In Montana, one of the states in which live poker is legal in bars and casinos, the number of permitted live card tables has risen 70 percent from 2002. Interest in playing poker has spread from the state’s largest cities to its rural communities, with young professionals and college kids taking on veteran players and even farmers fitting in hands.

Players who once drove 50 miles from Scobey, in northeast Montana, for a poker game now can find a table at Scobey’s Dead Horse club – and sometimes have to wait for an open seat, owner Steve Davis said. But that’s been good for business.

“It’s a new way to socialize,” Davis said.

The renewed interest has also renewed discussion over whether state poker rules and regulations need a review. Gene Huntington, administrator of Montana’s Gambling Control Division, said he plans to raise poker as an issue that may merit a closer look in the months ahead.

Among the questions: dealer licensing – people can now get temporary licenses before undergoing background checks – and a possible change in the state’s pot limit. It’s now $300 a game, but some bar operators and dealers would like to see it raised.

Within two steps of Gleason’s poker table is a video poker machine, one in a row of machines, offering an $800 jackpot. He and others would like a more level playing field.

“One thing you don’t see on TV is we work for tips,” Eric Benjamin said while on break from dealing at the Queen of Hearts card room at the Crystal Lounge in Billings. “If there are higher limits, there are generally better tips.”

In Nevada and New Jersey, which track poker revenue, people spent $105 million on organized poker in 2003, the American Gaming Association said. That was up $15 million from 2002, but the association says poker hasn’t yet shown a “sustained increase” in revenue over time.

In Montana, the state Gambling Control Division said the number of card table permits issued in the state rose from 187 in fiscal year 2002 – a low over the past decade – to 318, as of February. A permit in Montana costs $250 for the first table, $500 for each thereafter.

As of April 1, nearly 650 people were licensed to deal cards. Huntington said he’d like to see changes in dealer licensing. People now pay $75 for a license and $25 a year to renew it. They’re also to have background checks and fingerprinting.

“We think, maybe, we need a better idea of who they are,” he said. Some card room operators have also mentioned that there may be a need for prospective dealers to “understand the game,” he said.

Donna Johnson, executive director of the Montana Council on Problem Gambling, which is involved in treatment and education, said she believes that the more money that’s involved, the more chances there are for problems.

Changes would require legislation.

Rich Miller, executive director of the Gaming Industry Association of Montana, said many don’t understand how strictly regulated poker is here.

“There’s a great misconception out there that there’s a lot of money associated with it. There really isn’t. Poker’s not a high-stakes game, especially at any level Montana’s likely to approve,” he said.

Still, players turn out, eager to try their luck or simply have a good time.

Gary Thompson, director of the World Series of Poker, said that while interest in poker probably won’t continue to rise as quickly as it has been, he doesn’t see it dying out anytime soon.

“People are risk takers. This is a safe risk you can control, not like bungee jumping,” he said. “People enjoy the camaraderie, the social atmosphere of poker rooms and the competition.”

One recent evening, a man playing in the card room at the Crystal Lounge had come from hundreds of miles away in North Dakota. Several others spent much of their day around a poker table, shrouded in cigarette smoke and making little chitchat.

Roger Byford said luck will carry you so far. “Anyone can have luck, but you need skill,” he said.

At Rockvale, where the vibe was more laid-back, Justin Wyllie was trying to put a good spin on his night.

“I think breaking even is a good night for me,” he said.