BROAD STREET'S POKER FACE

22-02-2007

It's become an internet phenomenon, but now poker is heading to the high street (or rather Broad Street) with plans for a private members' club where you can attempt a royal flush with a trip to the loo. Edward Cameron tries not to give much away.

The rise of online poker has sparked a biginterest in the game in the real world.

Today, Broad Street's Sports Café is set to be granted planning permission to open a private members' poker club.

To do it the bosses will need a casino licence but according to Birmingham City Council's planning agenda no-one has raised any concerns.

Indeed planning officer John Davies concluded the proposals ‘would add vitality to Broad Street'.

Theidea is to set up 18 tables with a maximum of ten players to each one. It will be open between 2pm and 3am every day of the week.

And for that perfect ‘back room' feel there will be low volume music and a bar to spend your winnings or drown your sorrows.

Having never caught the online poker bug I admit the odd game with my friends has been highly enjoyable, especially because the only time we ever played for real money I won.

And anything which brings people out of their bedrooms and into an environment where they're actually socialising has to be welcomed, especially if a responsible manager can tell when someone's had enough.

But the best thing about real poker as opposed to the online version is seeing the looks on their faces when you've got a flush and they just have two pair. Half the fun is watching to see if they're bluffing. A computer can't give you that kind of interaction - at least not yet.