Local Poker Games Popping Up Everywhere

LOUISVILLE -- It's one of the most popular games out there, and they're popping up everywhere these days.

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Odds Are, Tournament Is Going In Your Area Soon

Texas Hold'em poker tournaments are plentiful, big and if not approved by the state, illegal, WLKY NewsChannel 32's Paul Moses reported Thursday.

Still, if you turn on your television, it's hard not to see a poker game most times of the day. Five years ago, few would have thought it'd be a televised spectator sport. But today, it's a big draw for the Internet crowd and has become a solid ratings grabber on television. Just ask ESPN.

If you're looking to play this weekend, odds are there will be a game in your neighborhood, Moses reported. If you're looking into the legal route, check out some area churches.

"Last calendar year, charities did games," Kentucky Charitable Gaming Commission spokesman Christopher Lilly said. "Texas Hold'em had a handle of $8 to $10 million in the Commonwealth, and a charitable benefit of probably $5 to $8 million."

In Kentucky, charities have to have specific Texas Hold'em permits to run tournaments. One tournament organizer, Jennifer Driskell, said the events are good fund-raisers, but still a good source for those looking to deepen their pockets, Moses reported.

"It's a $100 buy-in," she said. "We pay out 70 percent of what that buy-in is. So the church actually only gets 30 percent of the buy-in."

For a 100-player tournament, that's a $4,500 profit for the church.

"For the amount of time and effort that's spent, the Texas Hold'ems are relatively much more profitable and can really benefit the bottom line of the charity," Lilly said.

But licensed charities aren't the only ones running these games right now, Moses reported.

"They're becoming very popular," Metro Narcotics Sgt. Danny Glidewell said. "We're seeing more and more all the time."

Local law enforcement officials are targeting illegal tournaments from social halls to back rooms and barns, shutting them down and taking people to jail, Moses reported.