Lainey Chatagnier
August 2, 2010
Stubbs adjusting to life as head coach
August 4, 2010Tri-parish poker players will be able to hold’em, fold’em and go all-in for a good cause this month when the Schriever Lions Club hosts a Texas Hold’em poker tournament.
The tournament will take place Saturday, Aug. 7, at 1559 Main St. in Schriever, and proceeds for the tournament will go to benefit the Schriever Lions Club, the Louisiana Lions Camp, the Louisiana Lions Eye Foundation and the community.
Schriever Lions Club President Dean Navarre said a good time would be in order for everyone who attends the event.
“Is it fun? Man, I have never laughed so hard in my life,” Navarre said. “I can promise you everyone who comes out will have the time of their lives.”
The president shared a story of previous participants who dressed up “like the pros do,” to lighten the mood at the event and create an environment that is fun for everyone, regardless of the size of your stack.
“We were sitting down at one of the events checking everyone in and we see a few guys walk in with a duffle bag,” Navarre said. “So naturally, I said to myself, ‘Oh Lord, I wonder why those two nuts have a duffle bag.’ … Sure enough, about the second round, they pulled out their dark glasses and their stuff like that … They were talking back and forth about how they weren’t going to let anyone see their eyes. Well in the next round, one of the guys started talking about how he definitely wasn’t going to let anyone see his eyes, so he reached into the bag and pulls out a welding shield. Everyone was dying laughing. We were laughing so hard, we had to hold up the game for about five minutes.”
The August event will be the fourth tournament the Schriever Lions club will have held.
Navarre said when the idea was initially proposed, some members of the club were opposed to the tournaments, because they were not in favor of gambling.
But the president said even the most staunch opponents of the idea have since become fans after seeing the joy the event brings to the participants, as well as the joy on the faces of those who are able to attend the Louisiana Lions Camp.
“Some of our members were definitely hesitant,” Navarre said. “At one of our meetings a few weeks ago, I had one of our members from Vacherie come to me who had been to the children’s camp recently for the first time. She said, ‘You know, Dean, when you started with this gambling, I almost quit the club. But now that I’ve seen the camp and the children having fun with smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes, because they don’t want to go home. Now I understand why you do what you do.'”
In previous events, the president said approximately 30 players have turned out and played in the event.
This time around, he hopes the turnout will be larger.
“Having 30 is nice, but 50 or 100 would obviously be better,” Navarre said. “We want to have as many people as our building can hold if possible.”
The Tri-parish area has a fairly rich population of poker fans who play at various venues throughout the area.
Navarre said the Lions Club tournaments have gotten a few of those players to come out at recent events – and are hoping for more this time around.
“I had a guy who told me, ‘Me, my old lady and the gang of us, we usually go to the casino,'” Navarre said. “But then he said, ‘Well, we don’t know what they do with our money there. But I know what y’all do with y’all money, because I’m a Lion and you all helped my Mom get some glasses when I was younger. I know where y’all money goes.'”
The buy-in for the event is $50. Additional buy-ins or add-ons will be offered to players for an additional $50.
The first hand will be dealt at 6 p.m., and the event will last until midnight.
And the event isn’t just charity-based as the top five finishers will all receive gift cards for a percentage of the total pot.
“It’s going to be a great night,” Navarre said. “I sincerely hope people come out and have some fun with us.”
