Poker tournaments are popping up at more and more area establishments
While the poker players keep hoping for that once-in-a-lifetime royal flush, the pubs and bars hosting local tournaments are pretty happy with their full houses.
Poker tournaments are popping up at more and more area establishments, bringing in additional business for many of them.
Angie Burger, owner of the Sports Page at 1600 S. Main St. in Joplin, said the influx of customers playing cards has had ample effect on her business. “We have a hundred times more business,” she said.
The tournament at the Sports Page is part of a larger event staged by No Limit Productions and held at four locations in the area. Besides Joplin, the tournament has locations in Neosho, Carthage and Mount Vernon. Games originally were held in Freistatt instead of Mount Vernon, but the tournament’s organizer found that there just weren’t enough seats in Freistatt, something that became apparent at the first game.
“We doubled the population of Freistatt for five hours,” said Bill Johnson, owner of No Limit Productions.
The players in his event play for points rather than money, with the ultimate point winner getting a seat at a game in Tunica, Miss., were traditional gambling is legal.
Johnson equated what he does to bringing in a band, only better. “We bring more people on one night than most anything else they can do,” he said.
Bands, however, rarely come under fire as being potentially illegal. Still, Johnson said the games fall under Missouri law as being separate from gambling.
Under Missouri law, three elements must be present for promotions to be considered gambling: prizes, games of chance and consideration.
In Johnson’s poker tournaments, two of the three elements are present. Poker is a game of chance, and the players are competing for a chance to win a seat in the Jack Binion World Poker Open in Tunica, Miss.
But Johnson’s argument is that consideration is missing. The Missouri law defines consideration as the exchange of something of value for the opportunity to take part in the game. “We don’t charge our players to play,” Johnson said.
There is also no requirement to purchase food or beverages while playing.
“We’ve got players who come in and keep a bucket of ice chips next to them all night,” Johnson said.
He said the rule that allows these games to take place is the same rule that allows fast-food restaurants to have prize offerings as promotions. It’s the reason “no purchase necessary” is always added to such offerings.
The game of choice is No Limit Texas Hold ’em, which is the same game seen on ESPN as part of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
Texas Hold ’em also is the game at JB’s Sports Bar and Grill in Pittsburg, Kan.
At JB’s, players earn points toward a seat in the company’s Kansas Poker Championship, with the winner of that event getting a seat at the World Series of Poker.
The game at JB’s can seat up to 64 players. Terry Wencl, owner of JB’s, said the game has been filled a few times, but typically there will be between 40 and 60 players per round. The bar holds two rounds of poker on Tuesdays and Fridays.
“I’d say it has increased business for the days we hold the games,” Wencl said.
The games continue year-round, which is good news as far as Wencl is concerned. “I’ll just say it’s been a tremendous success,” Wencl said.
