TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER

Tim Triplett did not win the huge prize, but he had fun in the process.

Tim recently returned from Las Vegas where he and four other on-line poker players played for the cash prize of $100,000 in the 2004 Poker Championship, hosted by Copenhagen. The name of the game: Texas Holdem Poker.

"I started playing on the on-line poker competition in May and in September, I learned that I was the winner of the Midwest Division," said Tim. "For that, I did win $5,000 to keep."

On Thursday, Dec. 9, Tim, his wife, Debbie, and their children went to Vegas.

"They (Copenhagen) paid for everything, including the airfare, hotel, food and the V.I.P. parties," said Tim.

On Friday, Dec. 10, Tim entered the game with $10,000 in poker chips.

The rules of the game are as follows: two cards are dealt face down to the each of the players, the cards are called "hole cards" and they are unique to each of the players. The next three cards are called "Flop" and are dealt face up. They are community cards and are part of each of the player's hand. The fourth community card is called "Turn," is dealt face up, and is in the center of the table. The final community card is called the "River. It is also dealt face up in the center of the table.

The Texas Holdem tournament was in a Western Legends Tour trailer, set outside the rodeo in Vegas.

"My first two cards that I was dealt were two kings," said Tim. "The next three cards were a queen, a jack and a deuce. Then the next two were a '4' and a '6'."

One of the players that Tim played against went by the name of 'pac-man'.

"Looking at my cards, and with the two kings that I had, I decided to bet it ($10,000) all," said Tim. When all the cards were shown, 'pac-man's' two hole cards were a jack and a '6'.

"I was out in the first hand, which lasted about five minutes," said Tim. "The whole matchup lasted about an hour and a half and the Texas Holdem player from California Division won the $100,000 prize."

By winning the tournament, the winner also will have a seat in the 2005 World Series of Poker, which cost others $10,000 just to enter.

"I overheard from someone from Copenhagen that Tim was favored to win the prize," said Debbie.

It wasn't a complete loss, as Tim and his family did get the chance to attend some V.I.P. parties at hotels in Vegas and meet some celebrities.

"I met with Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 World Poker Player," said Tim.

"We all had a real good time," said Debbie. "We even saw some Elvis impersonators. I felt like I was a king for a weekend."

When Tim started the Texas Holdem online poker tournament, it was because of his leg having a sciatic nerve and it was keeping him up at nights.

"Now that I have played in the online tournament, went to Vegas to participate in the $100,000 prize, there is next year to win it," said Tim.