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If you have aspirations to win the World Series of Poker but can not spare the $10,000 registration fee, the University of Maine’s American Marketing Association may have the next best thing for you. In an attempt to capitalize on the phenomenon of Texas hold’em poker and raise money for its organization, UMaine’s AMA will host its First Annual Campus Wide Poker Tournament Saturday at 11:00 a.m. in the Union.
“The idea of this tournament came from the huge poker craze going on right now. I knew if we put on such an event it would be a hit,” said AMA’s Vice President of Finances Erik Gundersen.
With aspirations of a 100-person tournament, it promises to be the largest tournament in the area with the largest first-place prize. The cost of entry is $20, with the AMA keeping half the proceeds and the other half going into the prize pool in the form of Bangor Mall Certificates.
“We are trying to send members of the AMA down to the nation conference in New Orleans,” Gundersen said. “It is an expensive trip, so we needed a profitable fund-raiser.”
First place winner receives $500, second place receives $300 and third place gets $150. The AMA must give away gift certificates rather than cash prizes to keep the tournament legal.
“We had to take the cash and turn around and give it back as mall gift certificates. But with Christmas coming up I think that is the perfect prize,” Gundersen said.
Currently, 70 spots are filled, but the AMA hopes to fill out the last 30 spots before Saturday, according to Gundersen. The fact that the tournament is so large is one of the biggest draws, he said.
“The part that is most appealing to me and other students is that fact that there is going to be a 100 people in this tournament,” Gundersen said. “The most appealing factor is the novelty of winning a 100 person poker tournament. The winner will be named the ‘best poker player at UMaine.’”
Gundersen said that the he recognizes that many students of UMaine play in weekly games with their friends and the tournament will be an excellent opportunity for the players to participate in a tournament of a much larger magnitude.
Texas hold’em is a form of poker where each player gets two private cards and five community cards everyone can play from, the object of the game is to create the best five card hand. While hand strength certainly plays a large role in the game, knowing when to bet, bluff and fold are the most significant factors of the game.
At the start of the tournament there will be 10 tables set up with 10 people at each table, until 20 people are eliminated at which point the tables will be condensed. If at anyone point before that any table goes under six players than players will be moved around to ensure most tables have the same number of players.
The tables will take turns dealing, until the final table, where there will be a designated dealer. Rules will be announced before the tournament begins and there will be two officials on at all time to help resolve any disputes.
Gundersen said that if everything goes well, the AMA will plan on hosting another tournament next semester.
If you are interested in participating, contact Erik Gundersen on FirstClass. Participants should try to be at the North Pod of the Union by 10:30 a.m. with their registration fee.
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