Playing all cards for charity
Texas Holdem poker tournaments gain popularity as fund-raising eventBy KRISTI LOWE Staff Writer
ADVERTISEMENT
MATTHEW LEASURE/Tribune Photo IllustrationTexas Holdem tournaments are gaining popularity among fund-raising events throughout the community. The Ridgewood Music and Football Boosters held a Texas Holdem tournament in early May this year and Coshocton Rotary Club is planning to hold a tournament in late fall.
Basic procedure for Texas Holdem:
1) Prior to dealing the cards, two blinds (the Small Blind and the Big Blind) are placed in the pot by the two players to the immediate left of the dealer. The blinds are put in to start the action.
2) Everyone is dealt two down cards (hole cards). The action begins with the player to the left of the Big Blind folding, calling or raising. Action continues with all players making one of these decisions. This is the first betting round.
3) Upon completion of the first round of betting, the dealer then turns over three cards (community cards known as "The Flop"). This is the second betting round. Beginning with this round of betting (and throughout the remainder of the hand), the player to the left of the button acts first. A player may now check (not bet or fold) or bet if there is no betting in front of them. If there is betting and/or raising in front of them, they may Call, Raise, or Fold.
4) Following the completion of action on the "flop," the dealer turns over another card (known as "The Turn" or "Fourth Street"). This is the third round of betting. (In Limit Hold'em, the amount bet doubles on "The Turn".) The betting again starts with the player closest to the left of the button.
5) Following the completion of action on "the turn," the dealer turns over the last card (known as "The River" card or "Fifth Street"). This is the final round of betting.
6) Upon completion of the final round of betting, the best hand wins the pot.
For information about Texas Holdem equipment, visit COSHOCTON - These days a royal flush beats a plate full of brownies. The new fund-raising craze - unlike the old bake sales, car washes or 50/50 drawings - is poker tournaments. Texas Holdem tournaments in particular.In Holdem, players get two down cards and five community cards, which are face-up in the middle of the table. Your hand is determined by using the best five of those seven cards, in any combination, with the best hand winning the pot.
The Ridgewood Music and Football Boosters held a Texas Holdem tournament in early May this year. The Music Boosters received 40 percent of the total profit which equaled about $2,000, according to Secretary Karen Swails.
"This is an easy way to make money, you make a lot more this way," Swails said.Although money comes easier this way, Swails said they enjoy doing candy sales and car washes more because they are good sellers and easy for the kids to do. It also gets the kids involved rather than the parents.
"The kids love to do car washes," she said.Many say poker is a game of chance or luck, which does have a part in it, but it is actually a game of skill. Skills that are important for Texas Holdem, according to include table selection, hand selection, reading opponents hands, opponent assessment and seat selection. The rest of the top skills include bluffing, check-raising, getting tells and pot odds calculations. The order of importance of these skills varies by game type.
Shane Pyle, past president of the Coshocton Rotary Club and current president of the Rotary Foundation, said the Coshocton club is planning to hold a tournament in late fall. But unlike other tournaments, theirs will be structured differently. They plan to hold qualifying rounds weeks in advance for the final tournament, and are allowing people to buy into the final round at a higher entry fee.
"We use the funds for projects to help our local community, all the money stays in Coshocton," Pyle said.
Pyle is in charge of the committee planning on holding the tournament. Rotary decided to hold the tournament, "because of its popularity, it's a national craze and pastime."
Poker has been a televised event on ESPN for more than a decade.
"We have had poker on our air since 1994 as a one- or two-part series," said Keri A. Potts from ESPN.
ESPN decided to bring in the production in 2003 to produce it as a live event. In 2004, the sports channel aired 22 one-hour shows of the World Series of Poker and it showed in more than 1.5 million viewing households. This year, they plan to air 32 one-hour shows in late July through November.
When it comes to poker as a fund-raising event, non-profit organizations do not need to obtain a license or permit, but can only hold two "festivals" a year.
Coshocton Towne Centre Association will also hold a Texas Holdem tournament to raise funds for the Christmas lighting on Main Street on Aug. 20, at Sacred Heart Gym. The Association will rent the equipment from River Club Poker.
Keith Harper, owner of River Club Poker, and has rented equipment for about a year.
"It's at its peak right now. It's something different, it's popular and on TV a lot," said Harper about Texas Holdem.
Harper rents out every piece and part of equipment needed for a tournament, and has equipment for up to 300 people in a single session. He rents equipment for about two tournaments a month, and three or four in the winter months.
"It has a competitive nature and people don't have to be an athlete to play. The demographic is larger," Harper said of the game.
