TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER

Deal 'em, play em, and rack 'em in.

It's Texas Holdem and it's the latest craze to hit Eugene.  "I could go to a movie for $15 and not have near the thrill I get here, going all out, you know, trying my best," poker player Steve Bratt said.

If you've ever surfed your cable channels at home, it'd be hard to miss all the different poker shows featuring celebrities and professionals.

That's what brought new poker player Kyle Kildal into the game.  "It's kind of just everywhere.  You can't really go anywhere without people talking about who their favorite player is, what kind of style they like," he said.

Now people who feel confident enough to put their money where their mouth is can join in.  Every Wednesday night, the Downtown Lounge in Eugene hosts a Texas Holdem tournament.

"We actually were the first bar to start it up.  Everyone was kind of waiting to see how it would do and fortunately, it has taken off very well," Downtown Lounge bartender Allison Crispen said.

Being that the Lounge is a bar and not a casino, there are some rules they have to follow.  "We have to have it absolutely tournament style.  There are no cash games allowed.  We do allow side games, but those are strictly tournament style as well," Crispen explained.  Meaning, players use chips throughout the game and wait until the end to cash it out.

One of the most important things of playing the game is to have a poker face, and if you're lucky enough to have a good hand, you've got an opportunity to turn your $15 into some major cash.

The top eight players all get a cash prize although the $400 pot goes only to the first place winner.

Most of the players at the Lounge say, even beginners can pick up the game pretty easily.