LC puts on its poker face
Matt Montemurno
Issue date: 1/20/04 Section: Arts & Society
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The flop, the turn, the river: all terms that have become popular buzzwords on college campuses, in pool halls and in casinos across the country with the recent explosion of No Limit Texas Hold'Em.
Last weekend, Loyola found itself caught up in the poker craze as the class of 2005 and the Office of Student Activities sponsored the first ever Greyhound Texas Hold'Em Tournament in McGuire Hall.
Roughly 180 Loyola students, faculty and poker aficionados attended the event, which spanned Friday and Saturday nights. The contestants were broken down into tables of seven players each. The winner from each table then moved on to the second round where there were four tables of six people and finally to the final round of eight players at one table.
The $20 entry fee went toward the grand prize, a choice between an all-expense paid spring break trip to Acapulco or a gift certificate worth $3,500 to Best Buy. The prize was determined by the number of people who entered the tournament.
Many of the players took the competition very seriously, sporting their best poker faces, sunglasses and distractions like funny hats or outfits to unnerve their opponents. The trashtalk was out in full force as well. Others were just there for fun and many were playing the game for the first time.
The hallmark event was deemed a success by tournament organizers. Mark Broderick, director of Student Activities, joked that the tournament "may be the college's newest way to form a male bonding retreat."
Broderick was pleased with the turnout, and especially pleased to see every class represented as well as a large number of faculty and staff at an event that had only been advertised since the return from winter break.
A great game for the novice poker player, Texas Hold'Em Poker is a relatively simple game. As opposed to other poker games like Omaha High or 7-card stud, which offer fewer opportunities to beat the odds, most anyone can learn to play Hold'Em in a matter of minutes and be pretty decent within the hour. Like any game, however, practice makes perfect and the more you play, the better you get.
Last weekend, Loyola found itself caught up in the poker craze as the class of 2005 and the Office of Student Activities sponsored the first ever Greyhound Texas Hold'Em Tournament in McGuire Hall.
Roughly 180 Loyola students, faculty and poker aficionados attended the event, which spanned Friday and Saturday nights. The contestants were broken down into tables of seven players each. The winner from each table then moved on to the second round where there were four tables of six people and finally to the final round of eight players at one table.
The $20 entry fee went toward the grand prize, a choice between an all-expense paid spring break trip to Acapulco or a gift certificate worth $3,500 to Best Buy. The prize was determined by the number of people who entered the tournament.
Many of the players took the competition very seriously, sporting their best poker faces, sunglasses and distractions like funny hats or outfits to unnerve their opponents. The trashtalk was out in full force as well. Others were just there for fun and many were playing the game for the first time.
The hallmark event was deemed a success by tournament organizers. Mark Broderick, director of Student Activities, joked that the tournament "may be the college's newest way to form a male bonding retreat."
Broderick was pleased with the turnout, and especially pleased to see every class represented as well as a large number of faculty and staff at an event that had only been advertised since the return from winter break.
A great game for the novice poker player, Texas Hold'Em Poker is a relatively simple game. As opposed to other poker games like Omaha High or 7-card stud, which offer fewer opportunities to beat the odds, most anyone can learn to play Hold'Em in a matter of minutes and be pretty decent within the hour. Like any game, however, practice makes perfect and the more you play, the better you get.