Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

In my public speaking class, I chose Texas Holdem as my topic.

Audience = Mostly 19 + 20 year olds. Majority don't know anything about Texas Holdem

I'm going to discuss the basics (poker hands, preflop, flop, turn, river, betting, etc.)

But i need a good intro. Any suggestions?

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

show a picture of moneymaker holding up millions of dollars. Tell them you're going to tell them in the next xxx minutes how to end up like that guy. So forth

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

"It's been called the cadillac of poker. The game that takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. In just a few short years, it has made some of its' best players instant celebrities. Simply put, it is known as Texas Hold'em."

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

No Limit Texas Hold'em is the cadillac of poker...

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

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show a picture of moneymaker holding up millions of dollars. Tell them you're going to tell them in the next xxx minutes how to end up like that guy. So forth

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I like this. I had to give a presentation on how to sell on eBay once. My openign was to throw 35 cents out to the audience, and say. In the next 15 minutes I'm going to show you how I took a 35 cent investment, and turned it into this (screenshot of paypal account with $5k in it), and how you can too.

It went over really well.

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

"If, within 30 minutes of sitting down at the table, you can't find the sucker....you are the sucker."

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

To do well in Hold Em it helps to have a big pair...

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

Also remember to hand out your affiliate code directing them to US at Party Poker!

BOO-YAH!

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

can u win 7.5 milliion playing your favorite hobby? i can...

how long do u have to do this speech? i just completed a speech on this same topic, and it was quite a bit more complicated than i thought it would be. i had 15 minutes, and i had to also do a demonstation and could barely get college students to post there blinds and keep their cards face down. good luck...

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

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Audience = Mostly 19 + 20 year olds.

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Majority don't know anything about Texas Holdem

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You sure about that?

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

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Audience = Mostly 19 + 20 year olds.

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Majority don't know anything about Texas Holdem

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You sure about that?

[/ QUOTE ]

majority of the class are girls. so i'm making an assumption.

but even if the majority knows, there are still a few people in the class who won't know. (my speech topic is a beginner's guide to holdem.)

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

give em a bad beat story

everyone loves hearing those [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

Girls won't care so much for the "make a bundle playing this game" angle.

But they will buy the popularity angle. I don't have the exact numbers for this one, but I'm sure you can find them on the web pretty quickly:

"What is the biggest prize money event in the world today? Anyone know? The Kentucky Derby? The Super Bowl? The World Series?

On June x of this year, so-and-so won what they call the Main Event, the $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Texas Hold'Em tournament, part of the World Series Of Poker, staged in Las Vegas. He played for x days, and he took down $x million for first prize out of a total of $y million in prize money, making this poker tournament the biggest prize money event in the world.

Poker is THE game these days, and among poker players, No-Limit Texas Hold'Em is referred to as the Cadillac of poker games. I'm going to show you how it's played."

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

hm.. my angle was more like:

"You've probably heard your friends talk about it. you've probably seen it on tv. but you dont quite understand what's going on. Well, I'm here to show you how to play texas holdem."

but that sounds boring. It needs more excitement. and i guess the $ angle is better.

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

Suck them in with something like "xxx won the largest ever pot in the history of poker, worth $1000000. In 10 minutes, your going to understand the theory behind the audacious move he did to achieve this".

This will keep them interested while you go through the boring part of explaining the rules and (very) basic strategy. Not sure about the class size, but it might be worth bringing along some chips/cards to play a couple of practise rounds (whilst you continue talking/directing the game). Audience participation is very good for keeping people interested, even if it is only a few people.

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

Tell them you are MIKE SEXTON

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

Poker........f' yea

Team America style.

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

[ QUOTE ]
Suck them in with something like "xxx won the largest ever pot in the history of poker, worth $1000000. In 10 minutes, your going to understand the theory behind the audacious move he did to achieve this".

This will keep them interested while you go through the boring part of explaining the rules and (very) basic strategy. Not sure about the class size, but it might be worth bringing along some chips/cards to play a couple of practise rounds (whilst you continue talking/directing the game). Audience participation is very good for keeping people interested, even if it is only a few people.

[/ QUOTE ]

it's a quick 5min speech. i'm not going into strategy. i'm just going to explain that each person gets 2 cards, and there's 5 community card, preflop/flop/turn/river, plus hand rankings (high card, pair, 2pair, ..., royal flush)

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

Hi, i'm mike jones and i make 143 dollars an hour. If you're asking how or calling [censored] on me i'm here to tell you how. Iplay poker.

The basics of the game are pretty simple....

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

Show them a picture of a donkey.

"This donkey is you. If you play Texas Hold 'em, you will be a donkey. You will be called a donkey. Eventually after thousands of hands, you will lose your donkey status, but other donkies will still refer to you as a donkey.

Are you ready to enter the world of degenerates, hookers, smelly people, and grumpy locals?"

Sorry, played live poker this weekend. Came across everything but the hookers.

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

How about

"Like many guys my age, I spend nights in front of the computer in my underwear feverishly working my right hand. Tonight, I'd like to show you what I'm doing."

or

"I lost my job, my girlfriend left me, I've gained 22 pounds and can't have a simple conversation without referencing expected value. But I'm up 3000 big bets year to date and the guys on 2+2 read all my posts."

or

"Last year a 280-pound bald idiot in a Bullets jersey and headband came in 50th at the World Series of Poker and pocketed 173 dimes. This is why I play poker."

or

"I'm dead money. I'm here to show you how you can be dead money, too."

Good luck!

J

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

You: Okay, before we get started, I have one question, does anybody here know how to play holdem?

Man: (raises his hand) I do.

You: Good for you. You can get up too.

Man: What? Why?

You: We don't hire players here, we train new ones. That's it Skippy - pack your [censored], let's go. Okay, here's the deal, I'm not here to waste your time. Okay, I certainly hope you're not here to waste mine, so I'm gonna keep this short. Become a Pooh Bah at 2+2 and you will make your first million within 3 years. Okay, I'm gonna repeat that, you will make a million dollars, within three years of your first post at 2+2. There's no question as to whether you become a millionaire working here. The only question is, how many times over. You think I'm joking....I am not joking. I am a millionaire. It's a weird thing to hear, right? Lemme tell ya, its a weird thing to say: I am a [censored] millionaire. And guess how old I am...27, you know what that makes me here? A [censored] senior citizen. 2+2 is entirely comprised of people your age, not mine. Lucky for me, I happen to be very [censored] good at my job or I'd be out of one. You guys are the new blood. You are the future swinging dicks of online poker. Now you all look money hungry and that's good. Anybody who tells you that money is the root of all evil, doesn't [censored] have any. They say money can't buy happiness. Look at the [censored] smile on my face! Ear to ear baby! You want details, fine. I drive a Ferrari 355 Cabriolet. What's up? (slides keys across long table) I have a ridiculous house at the South Fork. I have every toy you could possibly imagine. And best of all, I am liquid. So now you know what's possible, let me tell you what's required. You are required to work your [censored] ass off at 2+2. We want winners here, not pikers. A piker walks at the bell. A Piker asks how much vacation time you get in the first year. Vacation time? People post at 2+2 for one reason, to become filthy rich, that's it. We're not here to make friends, we're not saving the [censored] manatees here guys. You want vacation time, go teach third grade at a public school. Okay, first three months at 2+2 are as a stranger, you'll make 150 dollars a week and the Pooh Bahs will ridicule you. After you've done training at microlimits and SSH, you move up to 15/30, you pass that and become respected on SSH and HUSH, you start posting in mid-high. You hit 2.5BB/100 at 15/30 and you start working for yourself, the sky's the limit. A word or two about being a stranger, your friends, parents, other players, they're gonna give you [censored] about it, it's true, 1/2 is a joke. Pay them no mind. You need to learn this game and this is the time to to do it. Once you pass the test, none of that's gonna matter. Your friends are [censored]. You tell em you made 25 grand last month they're not gonna [censored] believe you. [censored] them! [censored] 'em! Parents don't like the life you lead. [censored] your mom and dad. See how it feels when you're making their [censored] Lexus payments. Now go home and think about it. Think about whether or not this is really for you. If you decide that it isn't, listen, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. This is not for everyone. But if you really want this, you call me on Monday and we'll talk. Just don't waste my [censored] time......Okay, that's it.

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Suck them in with something like "xxx won the largest ever pot in the history of poker, worth $1000000. In 10 minutes, your going to understand the theory behind the audacious move he did to achieve this".

This will keep them interested while you go through the boring part of explaining the rules and (very) basic strategy. Not sure about the class size, but it might be worth bringing along some chips/cards to play a couple of practise rounds (whilst you continue talking/directing the game). Audience participation is very good for keeping people interested, even if it is only a few people.

[/ QUOTE ]

it's a quick 5min speech. i'm not going into strategy. i'm just going to explain that each person gets 2 cards, and there's 5 community card, preflop/flop/turn/river, plus hand rankings (high card, pair, 2pair, ..., royal flush)

[/ QUOTE ]

Find a WPT clip of Mike Sexton explaining the game, and combine it with a Bravo Celeb. Poker Showdown clip of Dave Foley going through the hand rankings. You got your script.

FWIW, are you judged heavily on the delivery aspects vs. content? If not, I might leave the hand rankings out in favor of something else (talk about all the different shows that have been spawned; the previously unknown players who've won some of the big events (Moneymaker, et al.)

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Audience = Mostly 19 + 20 year olds.

[/ QUOTE ]


[ QUOTE ]
Majority don't know anything about Texas Holdem

[/ QUOTE ]

You sure about that?

[/ QUOTE ]

majority of the class are girls. so i'm making an assumption.

but even if the majority knows, there are still a few people in the class who won't know. (my speech topic is a beginner's guide to holdem.)

[/ QUOTE ]

I would start out with something along these lines...

"In the poker game of life, women are the [censored] rake"

...of course then go on to explain what the rake is.

Re: Need good introduction for my speech on Texas Holdem
 

[ QUOTE ]
You: Okay, before we get started, I have one question, does anybody here know how to play holdem?

Man: (raises his hand) I do.

You: Good for you. You can get up too.

Man: What? Why?

You: We don't hire players here, we train new ones. That's it Skippy - pack your [censored], let's go. Okay, here's the deal, I'm not here to waste your time. Okay, I certainly hope you're not here to waste mine, so I'm gonna keep this short. Become a Pooh Bah at 2+2 and you will make your first million within 3 years. Okay, I'm gonna repeat that, you will make a million dollars, within three years of your first post at 2+2. There's no question as to whether you become a millionaire working here. The only question is, how many times over. You think I'm joking....I am not joking. I am a millionaire. It's a weird thing to hear, right? Lemme tell ya, its a weird thing to say: I am a [censored] millionaire. And guess how old I am...27, you know what that makes me here? A [censored] senior citizen. 2+2 is entirely comprised of people your age, not mine. Lucky for me, I happen to be very [censored] good at my job or I'd be out of one. You guys are the new blood. You are the future swinging dicks of online poker. Now you all look money hungry and that's good. Anybody who tells you that money is the root of all evil, doesn't [censored] have any. They say money can't buy happiness. Look at the [censored] smile on my face! Ear to ear baby! You want details, fine. I drive a Ferrari 355 Cabriolet. What's up? (slides keys across long table) I have a ridiculous house at the South Fork. I have every toy you could possibly imagine. And best of all, I am liquid. So now you know what's possible, let me tell you what's required. You are required to work your [censored] ass off at 2+2. We want winners here, not pikers. A piker walks at the bell. A Piker asks how much vacation time you get in the first year. Vacation time? People post at 2+2 for one reason, to become filthy rich, that's it. We're not here to make friends, we're not saving the [censored] manatees here guys. You want vacation time, go teach third grade at a public school. Okay, first three months at 2+2 are as a stranger, you'll make 150 dollars a week and the Pooh Bahs will ridicule you. After you've done training at microlimits and SSH, you move up to 15/30, you pass that and become respected on SSH and HUSH, you start posting in mid-high. You hit 2.5BB/100 at 15/30 and you start working for yourself, the sky's the limit. A word or two about being a stranger, your friends, parents, other players, they're gonna give you [censored] about it, it's true, 1/2 is a joke. Pay them no mind. You need to learn this game and this is the time to to do it. Once you pass the test, none of that's gonna matter. Your friends are [censored]. You tell em you made 25 grand last month they're not gonna [censored] believe you. [censored] them! [censored] 'em! Parents don't like the life you lead. [censored] your mom and dad. See how it feels when you're making their [censored] Lexus payments. Now go home and think about it. Think about whether or not this is really for you. If you decide that it isn't, listen, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. This is not for everyone. But if you really want this, you call me on Monday and we'll talk. Just don't waste my [censored] time......Okay, that's it.

[/ QUOTE ]

POTD