No dealers, no hostess, and no clouds of cigar club poker 3.14 Yerres (Essonne). Here, you play through the kindness of patrons of a posh inn, under the old beams in the back room, the damp smell of the barn and fire wood.
Created in December 2007 at the initiative of its chairman, Kristof Mahen, 34, station agent and wizard training, which conceives it as a “meeting place” between lovers is one of many clubs have emerged from the “poker madness” which engulfed France. “It does not go two weeks without that we affiliate receives a folder and not a day without a person applying for the license,” said Serge Brioudes, president of the French Federation for the development of poker (HWW) . In 2007, HWW had 18 affiliated clubs and 300 licensees. A year later, in early March: 72 clubs and more than 2000 licensees.
For three years, helping Internet, this game has invaded the Hexagon, ridden roughshod over tarot and playing cards. The magazines, which are increasing, never tire of telling the dazzling success stories of young lovers. Today, many French are among the best players in the world.
But France banned its market to gambling operators outside the monopoly of the French games, the PMU and some 200 casinos located throughout the territory. Summoned in 2007 by the European Commission to open its market to paris and online games, the government has delayed committing to study the issue. In late March, Bruno Durieux, inspector general of finances, and should make public the findings of the mission on the opening games of chance and money entrusted to him by, November 27, 2007, Prime Minister Francois Fillon. The budget minister, Eric Woerth, has in turn mandated the criminologist Alain Bauer to write a note on the “consequences” that could lead to liberalization.
The stakes are enormous. Within months, thanks to the opening of poker rooms, which ended the monopoly of the gaming circles, casinos have seen their attendance increase again – despite the smoking ban and identity checks. “Traditional games, roulette balls, say the whole table has increased by 40% in 2007, recognizes Patrick Partouche , the owner of the casino of the same name. Thanks to the proximity of poker and slot machines is the first time in seventeen years that games are recovering. ”
Above all, poker has brought a new clientele, younger. “We were very low in the 20-40 age bracket, then this is the first to play poker,” said Mr Partouche . And that of 18-25 years has learned to play on the Internet. ” Eager not to be overtaken on the Net, the group had invested in a site based in Gibraltar. Mal took him, in March 2007, Mr Partouche was sentenced to twelve months’ suspended sentence and 40,000 euro fine for having given his name to an illegal site.
Not short of imagination, the group then turned, as his powerful rival Lucien Barriere , to another form of exploitation of the game, a huge tournament. The Partouche Poker Tour is scheduled for completion in September 2400 after tournament “satellites” in a great hotel in Cannes in the presence of Eric Cantona. Admission prices for those who have not had the time or the will of the playoffs: 8500 euros!
Tournaments can circumvent the ban on playing for money. They provide an opportunity for clubs and federations to attract fans – Membership is free – by allowing them to recapture the spirit of competition that is nevertheless the basis of poker. Players can legally win cash prizes and be confronted with the best.
Club 3.14, one plays chips. Under the legislation, the money is prohibited. Mr. Mahen attaches special attention: “It took me almost three months to find a room for the club,” he says. Recently, however, he won two sponsors (clothing brands Poker is war and Hoc volo), enabling it to offer prizes to its members. Above all, no missteps. And here, the framework is easier to use than a computer screen. More accessible than thick carpets of gambling clubs and casinos. An intermediate space, where you can train, wandering in the use of cards over a beer.
The Partouche and Barrière do not see a dim view of the emergence of amateur clubs, which eventually lead their customers wishing to compete, over time, more experienced with it.
