Poker players go all-in at Lenora's
A dealer with pink nails and a pink hoodie spreads Spirit Mountain Casino cards over the green felt of the "Milwaukee's Best Light" folding table.It's 7:15 p.m. on a Tuesday, poker night at Lenora's Ghost, a smoky Main Street bar in Independence.
Flory Ericksen, 37, ranks in the top five of the bar's "Cabo tournament" rankings. She deals around her table, which she's sharing with a 23-year-old man, a pregnant woman and the poker tournament director, Gary Michael Spiritwolf Stuckey.
Stuckey, a 54-year-old retiree who lives in Dallas, volunteers at Lenora's three weekly poker nights to make sure the game is run cleanly.
"The whole point is to bring business in here," he said. "The people (who) are playing can feel secure in having a good time and knowing that they're not being cheated or robbed." Download poker wallpapers.
Lenora's hosts no-limit Texas hold 'em games Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to draw crowds.
It works, said manager, Vidal Pena.
"I've tried several different things, from comedy night to salsa night, but poker's made all the difference in the world," he said.
"Business is great -- a lot of food comes out; people are gonna have drinks. (It's) somethin' different, you know?"
The games are free for anyone 21 and older. Players & women poker players start with $2,000 in pretend money and get second-chance chips if they lose their money early. Blinds, the forced initial bet for each game, start at $25 and $50 and increase every 20 minutes, then every 15 minutes as play continues.
The top three each night win gift certificates for Lenora's. But the big prize -- a trip for two to Cabo San Lucas -- is won after three months of qualifying play in the Cabo tournament.
Each poker night, the bar keeps tabs on what place each player finishes and how long he or she played. Players who earn more than 900 points -- 38 of the 113 players after week nine -- qualify to play for the trip. The more points a player has by the end of the tournament, the more chips he begins with in the championship game.
Mirroring the boom in recent years, at least nine Salem area bars offer poker night -- and local poker personalities have been created.
Steve "The Wiz" Pickering, 59, wears sunglasses when he plays poker.
"You look at their eyes and hide yours," the recent college graduate said of his opponents.
Because he doesn't drink, The Wiz buys food from Lenora's to compensate for the bar's free poker offering.
"I come to a bar all the time to play cards," he said. "Even though I don't buy drinks, I still like to spend the same amount of money as anyone else 'cause they're doing this for free. They're giving away some nice things, and this is costing them money. I believe I need to carry my share."
Stuckey estimated Lenora's averages 25 patrons per poker night, livening the bar crowd, especially on Tuesdays. On this Tuesday at 8 p.m., about 30 people are playing online poker and eight or nine are not. Those not playing sit on the dark wood bar stools, try their luck at video lottery or watch the card players go all-in.
Although Stuckey runs a tight game, using PowerPoint on an old-school Toshiba laptop to keep track of the blinds, there is a more-casual-than-a-casino feel.
Most players win by playing strong hands against loose calls, which are made because no real money is at stake. Play route 66 poker.
Thirty-two-year-old Johnny Whitmire, "Mr. Chips," said his strategy is to figure out the strength of people's hands by keeping track of their behavioral "tells."
"I know how to read everyone here," he said.
"John is one of the quieter players that will just keep quietly taking your money," The Wiz said of Whitmire.
Timothy Schera, 29, said the poker atmosphere at Lenora's is upbeat and social.
"There's no real money at stake, so no one can really hold a grudge against things," he said. "It's worth the chance to see whether you sit out higher than others. In the long run, it's a lot of fun."
Mr. Chips, wearing a gray Reebok hoodie and glasses, was ranked No. 41 coming into the night.
After taking in a basket of jalapeno poppers, Mr. Chips makes his big move of the night by going all-in pre-flop for $13,000 with the strongest starting hand in Texas hold 'em: a pair of aces. Play $500 match poker bonus.
The flop, the first three community cards, comes up empty for the two other players who hold a king and jack of spades and an ace of spades and a 4 of hearts. Mr. Chips takes the sizeable pot and secures his seat at the night's final table, which is made up of two women poker pros and six men.
In an early final table square-off about 10 p.m., Mr. Chips calls the big blind at $4,000. Four players go to the flop: a 3 of hearts, 10 of hearts and 4 of diamonds. Under the pressure of the blinds, which represent a large portion of his stack, Mr. Chips sizes up his chips and goes all-in for $10,000 more. The two women poker players call him down.
The turn, the fourth community card, is an 8 of clubs. The three players check all around. The river, the last community card, reveals a king of clubs, and the hand ends without confrontation with checks all around again. Mr. Chips shows his hand of jack, 6. A pair of 10s wins. He takes a gulp of water and withdraws to the bar. Online poker.
Director Stuckey said Mr. Chips' eighth place finish is sure to raise his standings. He earns 100 points for being No. 8 and 150 points for how long he stayed in. With 857 points coming into the night, he has qualified to play in the Cabo game.
"I lost. How do I feel? I don't feel too good," Mr. Chips laments. "Yeah, it's pride."
As they're eliminated, the players head home one by one. The chatter dies down and gives way to music.
Mr. Chips plans to come back Thursday. The loss "will be washed away. I'll get first next time."
"If you say so, Johnny," Stuckey said.
"I say so, Boss." Stay tuned to our poker blog or more updates.
Poker News Source: Statesman Journal
