TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER

Tuesdays and Thursdays are poker nights at the Elks Lodge. The games are hosted by www.barpoker.com, a tournament that allows local players a shot at a seat in the World Series of Poker.

Bill Harrison, who helps out at the poker tournaments, explained the rules. At each poker night, which is free to play in as long as the player is 21 or older, each player gains 50 points. If a player makes it to the final table of eight competitors, they can win even more points. If they are within the top 120 players in points, they are invited to the monthly tournaments, which are conducted around the state and where the players have a chance at a top prize of $1,000, as well as a chance to compete in the Kansas Poker Championship.

"Make the monthly tournament, and there's a chance you can make the yearly tournament," Bill Harrison said. "Win the yearly tournament, and the Bar Poker will pay for your seat on the world series."

During Tuesday's tournament, 61 people showed up. Dan Harrison, who runs the tournaments, said that it was a fairly average crowd.

"We usually have 50 to 60 players," Dan said.

"I say 45 to 50," Bill disagreed.

Both agreed that the record was 80 in one night. They also agreed the crowd was a varied group.

"We have insurance salesmen, firemen, policeman, teachers at the college and all sorts of interesting people," Dan said.

The crowd does show a marked contrast in styles. Though most wear casual clothing, a few dress up for the tournament. There are suits and ties and leather jackets as well as hooded sweatshirts and T-shirts. Many wear baseball caps and cowboy hats.

People of all ages play, as well. The oldest is George Weir, who turned 90 in February.

"We have people ranging from 21 to 90," Dan said.

The game played at the tournament is Texas Holdem. In this game, every player is given two cards, face down. Then, five cards are dealt face up, that are shared by all the players. Players must combine their two cards with three of the community cards to make the best possible hand.

"It's kind of the excitement of not knowing what your opponents have," said Darrell Calhoun, a regular at the games. "The adventure of betting chips and not knowing."

Cards are kept face down, and players only take one or two glances at their cards. Many weigh their cards down, sometimes with extra chips, other times with small charms such as a miniature horseshoe. Chuck Bender, who has been playing for only two months and has made it to the monthly tournaments, uses an obsidian arrowhead.

Within minutes of the games starting, players begin to drop out as they bet away the plastic chips. When someone goes out, they stand, shake hands with the table, but they don't always leave.

"It's a lot of fun. It's like a big family. In fact, one night, six of the people in the final eight were related," Dan said. "I know most of the player's numbers."

"I bet you don't know mine," John Shilling, another regular at the games, said.

"38," Dan said.

Shilling agreed that 38 was his number.

As the night goes on, smaller chips are slowly replaced with chips worth more and more points.

"That's to make sure there's money in the pot every hand," Bill said.

Finally, 53 players are eliminated, leaving only eight at the final table. Previously eliminated players form an excited circle around the table as the final eight become the final four of Dale Hill, David Gordon, Suzan Ratzalff and Clayton Mansell as Dan Harrison became the dealer for the game.

In one hand, Ratzalff eliminated Hill and Mansell, leaving only her and Gordon. Ratzalff had the chip lead and forced Gordon all-in during the last hand. Ratzalff became the night's first winner, earning 1,000 points for her victory.

As soon as the winner was declared and congratulated, however, players were already preparing for the next tournament of the game.

When asked if poker was more about luck or skill, Darrell Calhoun answered, "Somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 percent skill. You need a ton of luck, though."