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There's a new game coming to the
Creek Bingo Palace in Atmore - Texas Holdem poker.
Work is underway to begin running
poker games at the bingo palace starting in late
November.
Arthur Mothershed, CFO of the
tribe's gaming operations, said it plans to hire as many
as 50 employees to work the poker games.
A room is being constructed in the
bingo palace for the games and operations will start
with 9 tables for seven to 10 players at a time.
"It's an experimental deal for us,"
Mothershed said. "Our goal is to increase the overall
value of the entertainment experience here for our
customers."
Poker has increased in popularity in
recent years with the success of such shows as the World
Series of Poker and Celebrity Poker.
That popularity led the gaming
branch to look at running the games. "Its an area where
we thought we were authorized to enter, but we weren't
real sure we wanted to, until recently" Mothershed said.
Because the state's gaming rules
don't allow players to play against the house, the games
will have what is called a non-banking house. The house
will receive a certain percentage from each game up to a
certain amount. Mothershed said the charge has not yet
been determined.
Initially, three types of games will
be offered, Texas holdem, Omaha and stud poker. "One of
the players has to win the game," Mothershed said.
Each of the nine tables will hold
between seven and 10 players, depending on the game
being played. There could be tournaments in the future,
but the palace will hold off on holding those,
Mothershed said.
Of the Poarch Creek entertainment
centers in Alabama, Atmore will be the first test site
for the poker games. If they are successful here, they
may well add the games at the tribe's other facilities
in the state.
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