There's often a full house in the East Halls' Commons game room -- in more ways than one.

Every night, about 20 students gather around a pool table in the game room to play Texas Hold 'em, Five-Card Draw and other poker games.

"Whenever you want a game, there is one. It doesn't matter what night of the week, we are all here, usually until 2 a.m. or later," Ryan Lenar (freshman-engineering) said as he looked at his hand and bet more chips.

Poker at Penn State, and on campuses across the nation, has been gaining popularity among students and drawing more crowds.

The popularity of television shows such as The Bravo Channel's Celebrity Poker, The Travel Channel's World Poker Tour and ESPN's coverage of the World Series of Poker has helped add to this card-playing craze.

Brad Carson (sophomore-chemical engineering) has been named one of the poker champions this year by the Gaming Association of Penn State (GAPS).

"I think the game is gaining popularity because the police are making it so difficult for anyone to drink and have fun anymore," Carson said. "After I saw the movie Rounders, I was drawn in. The strategy and mystique of the game is unlike any other."

GAPS has held several poker tournaments throughout the year during Late Night Penn State at the HUB-Robeson Center.

The final tournament of the semester was held last weekend.

GAPS President Brian Marchant (senior-chemical engineering) said he was pleased with the attendance of about 90 students.

"The media's attention to events like the poker championships and the fact that Texas Hold 'em poker has a certain level of complexity both factor into how the game's popularity has been rising," Merchant said.

Kevin Barefoot (senior-economics) also participated in the tournament last weekend.

"I've been playing poker since freshman year of high school, and I also have become a big fan of free online poker," Barefoot said. "It is a great way to kill the time between classes."

Barefoot said although he will probably play poker his whole life, he believes there is a reason it is well liked among college students.

"I think poker has been popular amongst college students for a long time. I know that my dad played an occasional game while he was here at Penn State," Barefoot said. "Poker is popular because it's a gamble. We are bigger risk takers at this point in our lives, and there is a thrill in it you just can't beat."

Along with the growing popularity of poker among college students comes a potential increase of gambling addictions.

According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, the 18- to 24-year-old age group has some of the highest rates of gambling addictions.

The council reports that 6 to 12 percent of 18- to 20-year-olds are addicted to gambling.

James Sweet (freshman-business) plays poker almost every night in the East Halls' Commons but said he isn't worried about addiction.

"It's all in good fun; I would never let it become a serious addiction," Sweet said. "Plus there are a lot worse things to get hooked on in college."