Everyone has folded and only two players remain. The dealer flops an ace of spades on the river. The first hand checks, but the second hand goes all in. Do they have what it takes to steal the pot?
Washburn’s Student Recreation and Wellness Center is home to all of Washburn’s intramurals. This 2023 fall semester, the WSRC will be hosting a Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. The tournament was previously scheduled earlier in the semester but was pushed back due to the limited number of players available to attend. Because the date of the tournament has been pushed back, the registration has also been moved and is now open until Nov. 10 at 5 p.m., so be sure to sign up here.
This isn’t the first time Washburn has hosted a poker tournament as an intramural.
“We’ve tried it in the past and we get an all right turnout,” said Dan Wrenholt, assistant director of intramurals and club sports. “We get five to 10 people on average, but it would be nice to get more people and have more tables going.”
The card game is great for all students, whether they are veteran card sharks or are playing for the first time.
“It’s a low-level entry game that anyone can sit down and play. It’s also something that you don’t have to be physically fit for so it’s more inclusive,” Wrenholt said.
Not just poker, but all intramurals are a great way for students to take a much-needed break during the semester. Wrenholt stated that while studying is good, relaxing is just as important to staying healthy during the school year.
Some students, such as Kayla Schutter, a sophomore social work major, enjoy the game of poker from both a competitive and social standpoint.
“It’s definitely a competition. However, it is often filled with lots of laughs and it’s all in good fun,” Schutter said.
Poker can be a methodical and sometimes slow game, but it’s the fast-paced adrenaline that comes with every hand that Schutter enjoys most about the game.
There are many different styles and ways to play poker. The intramural tournament will be made for both beginners and experts to understand the game while still being able to enjoy it. Unlike casinos where the goal is to beat the dealer on each hand, every player is trying to beat everyone else at the table. As players lose their chips, the tables will get smaller and smaller. When the tables become too small, players from different tables will combine to make one table and continue playing. The tournament will go until only one player is left.
It is important to note that there is no buy-in or money involved. Each player will get an equal amount of chips to start the game and the winner receives a T-shirt, not a cash prize.
There is plenty of time for new players to learn how to play before the tournament. The best way to learn is to jump in and play. It also helps to have a poker cheat sheet to understand how each hand ranks to one another. Pokernews is a great resource to help learn how to play, discover strategies and even get some practice in.
Edited by Aja Carter and Sydney Peterson
