TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER

They know when to hold 'em and they know when to fold 'em.

Over 200 of the best poker players in North America will meet at Casino Regina this week for the four-day, eighth annual Station Classic tournament that will test their skill and concentration.

Combine that with a little luck and they could win thousands of dollars in prizes -- as much as $300,000 is up for grabs.

Canadian poker champion Mike Kirby of Regina, who won his title last fall at Casino Regina, is hoping to repeat his victory.

The tournament starts with a social evening today where the gamblers meet. Four different types of poker will then be played Wednesday through Saturday -- seven-card stud, Omaha hi-lo, Texas hold'em limit and Texas hold'em no limit.

Twenty-five tables will be set up in the Casino Regina Show Lounge, and players will be eliminated until there's a winner. Casino Regina expects about 250 people from across Canada and the U.S. to participate.

The entry fee is $100, but players also have a limited chance to buy more poker chips if they fall below that amount, thereby increasing the prize pool.

At this level of play, however, there are no wild cards.

"The only thing wild are the players and dealers," joked Dave Taylor, who is organizing the tournament for Casino Regina. The casino has been hosting three tournaments per year since it opened in 1996.

So who are the players? "They're poker aficionados who organize their holidays around these tournaments," said Taylor.

"They're doctors, lawyers, blue collar, white collar, young, old."

"It's great. They have an awesome set-up there in the Show Lounge," said Kirby, who owns a lawn-care company and has been playing poker "all his life".

"It's not about the money. It's about winning the big event."

Nevertheless, the money isn't bad either. Last fall, Kirby won the most at one Station Classic tournament -- $39,501 -- and the largest single payout win at $34,436. He used some of the money to pay bills, and saved the rest.

Kirby said the game in which he won lasted more than 14 hours.

Kirby, who also has played smaller poker tournaments in Las Vegas, has been playing in Casino Regina tournaments for two years.

"You start with 200-plus people and usually half are eliminated in the first two to three hours," Kirby explained. "It's a real test. You're mentally drained by the end of the day because you have to keep concentrating and not make a mistake."

Kirby said the tournament room is "usually fairly quiet" although the silence is occasionally punctured by screams from "a bit of both" the winners and losers.

Kirby also said his wife doesn't complain that the games can last for hours.

"She doesn't mind ... She knows I have a lot of fun."