"It looks really wild, doesn't it?" said David Richter II, son of
attorney David Richter, who is representing the Chez Paree, site of the
tournament.
"This is no different than having a bass fishing tournament or golf
tournament where everybody puts in money," Richter said.
Ringenberg said attorney Richter told him he had talked with Wilber
and they decided to go ahead and hold the event. There were no signs of
Inspection personnel in the early stages of the evening.
Ringenberg said for right now, the Chez Paree plans to hold Friday
night and Saturday and Sunday afternoon
Texas Holdem tournaments.
"Eventually we hope to host regional national tournaments," he said.
"We can seat 3,000 people here."
But Friday's early turnout was lower than the 200 hoped for. Players
pay a $35 buy-in and $15 entry fee. Prizes are split among winners at
the end of the tourney. "If we got 200 people, the winner would get
almost $3,000," Ringenberg said.
Brian Battistone, one of the
Texas Holdem players awaiting the tournament start said he
thought it was great and was not concerned about arrest. "I think even
if anyone came they would just tell us to leave."
Battistone said poker tournaments are big with students and a good
alternative to some of the partying that goes on among the college-age
crowd. He said he recently graduated from UNO.
Although the casinos have not said much about the tournament,
Ringenberg said he thought they might welcome the poker tournament. "The
wives can drop their husbands off and then go to the casino," he said.
Wilber said he thinks the Legislature needs to look at gambling laws
and close, what he said, is a loophole.
There was no liquor in site and Levell said he is not planning to
have any right now. "We may offer free beer at some point," he said.
