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Pub poker league takes over Scotland

"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, going 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.

"...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.

"...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.'..."

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