Ten minutes into last night’s No-Limit Texas Hold’Em charity poker tournament at the Manchester Bingo Center ...
Ten minutes into last night’s No-Limit Texas Hold’Em charity poker tournament at the Manchester Bingo Center and the intensity among all 210 players was so, well, intense, you could hear a chip drop.
Actually, you could hear lots of chips dropping.
Call it the poker chip shuffle — a nervous habit among players who channel emotion away from their game face by ruffling their stacks of chips.
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By 1 a.m., there were only four players left. Mark Reingold of Bow finished the game with the most chips and won $5,000
During the hours of play, movement was minimal and conversation sparse.
Except for a flourish of cards by the dealer before each hand, the most action during a night of competitive poker play comes in the collective stretch-and-peek early on, as players sneak a look at the two cards dealt them at the start of each hand.
From then on, it’s only expressionless eyes darting from player to player, card to card. An occasional toss of a chip or tap on the green velvet. Nothing else rises above the ruffling.
For a $100 entrance fee, players get 1,000 chips that have no monetary value outside of the game. Nine players are seated at a table, and each round lasts 20 minutes for the first hour. After three hours, rounds go to 15 minutes and the minimum bet continues to rise.
By midnight, the player with the most chips was to win the $5,000 top prize.
The event has been a money-maker for gaming managers Jamie Timbas and James Cristos since January’s first poker tournament. They get 50 percent of net proceeds, after prizes and expenses.
But it’s also a way of boosting the budget for event sponsor Road to Recovery, a local charity offering peer support for people with mental illness. Although they aren’t required to report their total revenue for the first two poker nights, they estimate earnings so far between $3,000 and $5,000 per event.
“We had to do something after last February’s budget crisis,” said Andrea Tinkham, the charity’s executive director. “We came up with the idea after they told us there was no new money, and that they were cutting our budget in half.”
Road to Recovery has been licensed through the state to hold 10 benefit poker tournaments this year. Last night was the third held in Manchester since January, said Tinkham.
“After our last one in July, other peer support agencies will be doing poker nights here. This is going to help a lot of local organizations,” she said.
The popularity of poker has spiked across the country thanks to exposure through cable television. Even the casual channel surfer can’t avoid the wave of coverage, including Bravo’s “Celebrity Poker,” and the Travel Channel’s “World Poker Tour.”
Thomas and Karen Mitchell of Hooksett admit TV poker has become a compulsion. It’s a great way to learn the game, says Karen. The couple came out last night to experience a live poker tournament.
“It’s a real betting game,” said Thomas, who after the first hour of play decided to call it a night. “I have less than 500 left, so to stay in the game I could ‘buy in’ for $50 and get another 1,000 chips. But I think we’re going to go get dinner instead.”
Karen was there to watch — except for a quick trip to Sam’s Club for some dog bones. She didn’t find it as interesting as televised games.
“It’s more exciting on TV because you can see what people have in their hands, and they talk you through the action,” she said.
Still, the Mitchells will definitely be back for the next tournament.
“I think it’s a smart thing for me to cut my losses tonight. It’s harder to walk away when the stakes are raised,” he said.
Melissa Simpson, 23, of Hollis, was one of about 10 women who showed up last night to play cards.
“That’s the intimidation factor, right there,” said Simpson during the first 10-minute break from play. “You walk in and there are a lot of older men. Yeah, at first it gets to you, but right now I’m doing great. I have quite a few chips.”
She said she learned the game from her boyfriend, but keeps in practice through Internet gaming. “I’ve played a lot of tournaments online. My only strategy is you gotta be patient,” she says, excusing herself for a quick smoke outside before round two.
“I’m a little antsy right now. You understand,” she said.
Source: Carol Robidoux, Union Leader
