As my readers see this column I will be in Las Vegas, NV. As yet I do not have the nerve to sit down at a Texas Hold 'em table. However, I have become a fanatic viewer of this strange TV game phenomenon.

If there is a Yankees or Mets game on TV and a poker game, I will watch the Texas Hold 'em. The TV players have been turned into super-stars. Some have also been turned into instant millionaires after the World Series of Poker. They say that they are competing for the "championship bracelet," but so far no one has turned down the money.

The professional gamblers are mixed with rank amateurs and that adds to the excitement. The camera enhances the facial movements and tics of the participants. They try to read their opponent's strategy by the look on his/her face. This is where the expression "poker face" comes from. Wearing dark glasses is a method of not revealing your hand or your emotions.

The game is both surprisingly simple and extremely artful, needing both guts and cunning. It is quite similar to the "Seven Card Stud Poker" of my youth.

The game in a nutshell:

* Each player is dealt two "hold" cards, after an ante.

* Players may discard their hand or bet.

* Three universal cards are laid down. This is called "the flop." The players then bet again.

* Another universal card is laid down. This card is called "the turn." Four cards open for all and one to come.

* Bet again.

* The last open card is dealt. It is "the river."

* Only five cards (two in your hand, three on the table) are usable.

* Players may bet part or all of their chips.

* If a player pushes all his chips in, he announces "All in." The other players must put up a like amount or fade out of the hand.

Bluffing is a large part of the psychology. I have seen amateurs push touring pros out by acting like they have a strong hand. It is high drama.

The TV cameras show the audience the two hold cards and mathematically figure the winner. The human element is present for all to see. It takes skill, luck, psychology and raw nerve to play this game successfully. However, no matter how brilliant the player, the cards have to be supportive.

Check your TV Guide and see if you find any interest in this World Series of Poker, played for $10 million for six weeks of day and night sessions.

Let the chips fall where they may.