Illustration by David Stroud. Players participate in a poker tournament at the Bellagio in Las Vegas on April 2, 2003. Photo by John Gurzinski Brad Kondracki of Kingston, Pa., plays at the final table of the World Series of Poker at Binions on July 15. The law school student finished in eighth place and won $1.15 million after spending two years playing poker online. Photo by K.M. Cannon. Chris Moneymaker plays the final hand of the World Series of Poker on May 24, 2003, at Binion's Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. Moneymaker won the $2.5 million tournament after qualifying in a $39 Internet tournament. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

On an ordinary afternoon at the UNLV Lied Library, students crowded the personal computer stations.

Some typed keywords into search engines; others scanned Web sites for research information.

Several students used the computers to write papers and complete class work, while others checked e-mail or bid on items on eBay.

On one of the library's second-floor computers, University of Nevada, Las Vegas hotel management student Ryan Mhor tried to force "OttawaNick" into folding his hand during a round of Texas hold 'em Internet poker.

Mhor, a junior from New York City, was waiting for his girlfriend, when he logged on to PokerRoom.com, paid a $2 entry fee and joined an online poker game with 113 other players, competing for a top prize of more than $1,500. The online site kicked in $4,000 to beef up the prize money in the tournament-style format.

While the student at the computer next to him was researching Greek mythology, Mhor was competing in a fast-action, no-limit hold 'em tournament, with initial wagers of $75 and $150.

Mhor had a little more than $900 in chips in front of him -- far less than the other players -- when he drew hole cards ace-nine of different suits. He then tried to scare others out of the hand.

Only "OttawaNick" stayed in and, after several large wagers, Mhor's ace-high held up, and he more than doubled his chip count.

All the while, students at other computer terminals in the library completed their class work.

At computer stations across the UNLV campus that afternoon, as well as on student-owned laptop computers with wireless connections, Internet poker was the game of choice. In dorm rooms and fraternity houses, students report that online poker is fast becoming an accepted activity.

"I don't play, but a lot of my friends play all the time," said UNLV student body President Peter Goatz. "Walk around in the student center, and you'll always see people playing. It's common for people to play for an hour or two because it just gives them something to do."

Internet sites such as PartyPoker, PokerStars, PokerRoom, Bodog and Full Tilt Poker have taken over as the student relaxation activity of the 21st century on college campuses throughout the United States.

For Mhor, Internet poker might consume about 15 to 20 hours a week, but it's also a pursuit that might add a few dollars to his wallet.

"I play when I'm just sitting around, like today," said Mhor, who also chats occasionally on his wireless phone. "I try not to play too much because I realize it can be pretty addictive. I have to catch myself every now and then."

Sean Holmquist, a UNLV senior majoring in hotel management and public relations, said he might spend an hour or two a day playing Internet poker. He'll invest $20 to $50 into an online account and jump into a game. He too views online poker as a potential moneymaking endeavor.

Holmquist said he became a fan of the game after watching televised poker events. Lately, he's used Internet poker as a training ground before he ventures into a Las Vegas casino poker room.

"The reason I play is because it's easy money," Holmquist said. "The potential is there to make a few dollars, and it's relaxing. You can eat or watch television or do whatever while you play. I think that's what makes the game attractive."

UNLV junior Luis Cacho sat at a computer terminal in the Moyer Student Union, hanging out between classes and playing a free online game at PartyPoker.net as preparation for a trip to a casino poker room.

Cacho said he plays only on the free sites to build his skills.

"It's a hobby, and I started playing with friends," he said. "The free sites give you good practice."

Leif Norcott, a student monitor in the Fong Computer Laboratory in Beam Hall, said students use the equipment mainly for schoolwork. But every now and then, he said, he'll catch a student playing online poker or other games, and he'll ask them to stop.

"It's happening all over campus," Norcott said. "Everyone is playing poker online."

Some researchers believe the growth of Internet poker on college campuses may start a wave of graduates making a risky professional choice. Budding poker players may believe they can make a career out of the game.

But Keith Winters, a psychiatry professor at the University of Minnesota who has studied wagering habits in young people, notes that poker is akin to sports played by professional athletes -- only a handful out of the thousands who dream of professional wealth will develop the skills to take them to the top of the game.

"I'm wondering if Internet poker is going to create a generation of young people that will drift toward this as a profession much in the way online investing occurred in the mid- to late 1990s," Winters said. "There seems to be more Internet poker players out there, and this seems to be similar to the idea behind online investing, gambling to try and make a quick buck."

Internet poker on college campuses is a somewhat new phenomenon, and research into the habits of students playing the game is still mostly anecdotal.

Horror stories, such as students gambling away tuition money in online poker games or missing classes because they won't get up from the table during an online tournament, are starting to surface. Some are urban myths, but others may bear some truth.

"It's so new and early in the research that it's hard to jump on board," Winters said. "You have so many players that try to get in and win a fast buck that this is where a problem can begin."

Steven Oster, a staff counselor in student counseling and psychological services at UNLV, said he hears tales from students about classmates playing Internet poker on laptops during lectures. But he says he hasn't seen many students come in for counseling and treatment.

"We see the students with alcohol addictions and eating disorders, but the kids with problems gambling on the Internet haven't shown up because they may not realize it is a problem," Oster said. "They don't see gambling in the same light as they do other addictive behaviors. That may be a growing concern."

Arnie Wexler, a New Jersey-based certified compulsive gambling counselor who beat his own addiction 37 years ago, said poker as well as the Internet have created a new class of problem gamblers.

Potential addictions to poker, especially Internet poker, worry him because on college campuses, Wexler said, "it's easier to place a bet than to buy beer."

"I'm getting the calls now from moms and dads who are seeing the problem firsthand. Probably one-third of the people calling are under age 25. It's so easy to get up at 2 or 3 in the morning and go online and wager. It's something we need to get a handle around," he added.

Wexler presents workshops and training seminars, speaks to gaming executives and legislative bodies, and has trained National Football League staff on gaming issues. He is philosophical because Internet gaming is already widespread.

"Education is all you can really do," he said.

INTERNET POKER IS BIG BUSINESS

The question of whether Internet poker is entrenched into the fabric of our culture was answered in late June.

British-based PartyGaming, the online site that oversees perceived industry leader PartyPoker.com, went public on the London Stock Exchange and shot up 11 percent during trading. Closing the day with a market value of more than $9 billion, PartyGaming was suddenly on par financially with traditional casino gaming companies such as Wynn Resorts Ltd. and Harrah's Entertainment.

Other poker Web site operators have made noise about initial public offerings in the European stock markets.

PokerPulse.com, an online tracking site for the Internet poker industry, estimated that the number of online poker sites has grown from 30 in 2002 to well over 300.

According to PokerPulse, almost 2 million people a day log on to an Internet poker gambling site. Of those players, 70 percent to 80 percent are residents of the United States.

Christiansen Capital Advisors, a Connecticut-based research firm, forecast that $9.9 billion would be wagered online this year, up from $7.5 billion last year. That figure includes sports betting and traditional casino games.

The firm said $2.4 billion was wagered on Internet poker last year, and it predicts the amount will double this year.

In September, PokerStars.com completed a 15-event World Championship of Online Poker, which offered nearly $13 million in total prize money. Initial entry fees of $15 to $100 helped attract almost 20,000 players.

Definitive financial figures on Internet poker are not kept, and most estimates are based on what Web sites will disclose publicly.

In its IPO, PartyGaming.com said it had revenues of more than $602 million last year, 92 percent of which came from its PartyPoker.com site. The company expected to have revenues of $992 million this year, with a similar percentage coming from poker.

Calvin Ayre, the founder of Bodog.com, which has operated online sports wagering for 10 years and opened a poker Web site a year ago, said the poker room already takes in as much in wagers as the rest of the online casino combined.

Though the number of Internet poker sites has grown, Ayre said he didn't think all of them would last long.

"I really don't consider poker a fad," Ayre said. "People see it as a form of entertainment, so there is much more acceptance. There has been such a land grab for poker space online, I think the market will level off, and the companies left standing will be the ones with strong brands and strong values. Players have to believe in the quality of the product being offered."

At this summer's World Series of Poker, a four-day poker trade show was held that looked like a scaled down version of a gambling-oriented Consumer Electronics Show. More than 50,000 attendees mingled with exhibitors who included representatives of most of the major Internet poker gaming sites.

The trade show gave many operators a chance to meet their customers face to face.

"There are a lot of choices now for the player," said Dan Goldman, the vice president of marketing for PokerStars.com. "For us to stand out, we have to be able to give the player the features, the games and the poker innovations to keep them coming back."

Wagers can be as low as a penny, and the major sites will beef up players' bankrolls to tempt their interest.

Because of the low-denomination games, Internet site operators say they believe they are able to keep players from overextending themselves.

"Internet poker is an accepted form of entertainment," said Raymond Bitar, the chief executive officer of Tiltware, which developed and operates Full Tilt Poker. "The industry is very competitive, and we don't want underage players."

Unlike the casino industry, which has the backing of the American Gaming Association and the organization's annual problem gambling awareness and education program, Internet poker has no such organization, nor an educational effort.

Some sites offer messages concerning problem gaming. Full Tilt Poker, for example, has a link to Gamblers Anonymous.

Wexler, who has talked with representatives of online poker sites about training programs for employees, said, "They don't want to cater to compulsive gamblers, but they don't know how to handle it."

Many Internet poker rooms offer free-play sites, using the dot-net address ending (such as PokerStars.net), which allow prospective players to get in for free and test the system. Eventually, the operators hope, players will advance to the full-fledged online gambling sites.

The free sites also allow the online poker industry to market itself to the public as "educational" dot-nets.

As such, online poker advertising through the dot-nets have become common, especially in sports magazines, on sports talk radio and sports-related television networks, such as ESPN and Fox Sports.

During the World Series of Poker, Full Tilt sponsored a live one-table poker tournament from Wynn Las Vegas that was televised on Fox Sports Net and featured well-known players.

Online poker operators say the responsibility of verifying a gambler's age and financial characteristics lies with the Internet money-handling services.

Many of the most recognizable names in competitive poker, such as two-time World Series of Poker champion Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson, have their own Internet poker sites. DoylesRoom.com is licensed in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, and was introduced during this summer's World Series of Poker.

Other well-known players, such as Eric Seidel, former World Poker champion Chris "Jesus" Ferguson and Phil Ivey, have sponsorships with FullTiltPoker.com, a Web site that promises players a chance to play against its stable of professionals.

IMITATING THE PROS

It's the idea of people emulating poker stars that worries counselors and psychiatric professionals.

Winters said that when college students see average players making money in online poker, they see themselves in a similar position.

"They think it's the common man kind of deal," he said. "It's a little bit like someone winning the lottery. It doesn't sort out the highest skilled person."

Wexler said that when young gamblers lose big, they turn to their parents for help. It's a mistake, he said, to bail young adults out of their gambling debts.

"You're not going to buy a drug addict drugs or an alcoholic beer, so why give someone with a gambling problem more money," Wexler said. "I go to recovery groups now, and I see them coming in younger and younger. Get them help and treatment. That's the best way to take care of the problem."

THE MONEYMAKER-RAYMER FACTOR

Perhaps the biggest turning point in the growth of Internet poker was the back-to-back world poker championship titles won in 2003 and 2004 by Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer, which fed the desires of Internet poker players and fueled a simmering online poker fire.

Both gained entry into the World Series via online poker, winning seats in the $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas hold 'em world championship.

The aptly named Moneymaker, an accountant in Nashville, Tenn., turned a $39 investment in a PokerStars.com tournament into the 2003 World Series of Poker championship and a $2.5 million paycheck.

A year later, Raymer, a Connecticut patent attorney, also won a seat in the world championship event through PokerStars.com and captured the title and $5 million.

"Those two victories really put us on the map," said PokerStars' Goldman. "The Internet players know us, and we gained a larger audience through Chris and Greg."

Moneymaker, who was predominantly an online player and hadn't spent much time in a casino poker room, beat two well-known high-stakes poker veterans to win the world title and give hope to all Internet players.

Today, he said, he makes more money through endorsements than he does playing poker. He plays a few live tournaments during the year, and he still plays online 15 to 20 hours a week.

"It's easy for me to go out any time of day and make some money online because there are so many bad players out there," Moneymaker said. "Of the people playing online now, a good percentage will say they're going to make a career out of it. But only about one-half of 1 percent will actually succeed."

He said players online try too quickly to build a bankroll and get into trouble.

"It's a tough way to make a living, but I'm not surprised by the growth in Internet poker," Moneymaker said. "My nephews are 8 and 9, and they want to learn how to play poker. It's a very popular game right now."

Unlike Moneymaker, Raymer had more than a dozen years of experience in live poker rooms. He had already planned to enter the World Series when he won a seat through the Internet.

"If you want to learn, start out with the free games and work your way up," he said. "Too many people try to jump up too quickly. They play online and then go to a casino and get it all thrown up their face."

THE LAW SCHOOL STUDENT

Following up on its backing of Moneymaker and Raymer, PokerStars.com qualified and paid the entry fees for 1,116 players of the 5,619 who entered the World Series of Poker's final event this summer.

One player, Brad Kondracki, a 24-year-old University of Pennsylvania law student, made it to the final table, finishing in eighth place and winning $1.15 million.

Unlike college students today, Kondracki said he didn't start playing poker online while he was an undergraduate at Cornell University.

Instead, he took a year off between Cornell and Pennsylvania to experiment with the online game.

"I'm glad I didn't get into it until after college," Kondracki said. "I think the prospect of making as much money per hour as I did washing dishes in the fraternity house for $50 a week would have been discouraging. I know kids now making quadruple that online."

Kondracki had played only two years when he qualified for the World Series. He began with a $100 bankroll on PokerStars.com and never had to add anything to keep the account alive.

"I started out just playing pennies and worked my way up," he said.

Now in his second year of law school, Kondracki said his World Series finish was "big news" around the campus and it allowed him to think about his future.

He plays online poker about 15 hours a week, he said, but he isn't going to make the game his profession. He's starting to interview for jobs next summer and plans to finish law school.

"I still like playing and the money is good, but I'm being pretty selective about what events I play in," he said.

WHO'S NEXT?

It's the success stories like Moneymaker, Raymer and Kondracki that worry Wexler, knowing that for those three winners, there are 300 to 3,000 players who will become losers.

"I talk with students all the time, and I know we can't stop Internet gaming, but the kids need to understand the addictive nature of this game," the compulsive gambling counselor said, adding that it takes a few years for gambling addictions to emerge.

Oster, the UNLV counselor, echoed those concerns. Because Internet poker is still in its infancy, the research into problem gambling online is behind the curve.

"I think it's a matter of time before we start seeing these issues really surface," he said.