Vermont Poker Classic to benefit Make-a-Wish foundation

SOUTH BURLINGTON -- Amateurs and professionals alike, including $2 million World Poker Tour World Series winner Nick Schulman, sat shoulder to shoulder as the cards were dealt Sunday at the second annual Make-A-Wish Vermont Poker Classic benefit at the Doubletree Hotel.

The tournament raised $10,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Vermont last year. This year's sold-out event promises to generate even more.

More than 250 players paid $260 to compete for the $10,000 cash prize. A group of alternates who didn't get in on the first round of play watched from the lobby, waiting for the chance to cash in on the seats of players getting knocked out of the game.

Professional poker players, each worth a $1,000 bounty, rotated among the tables every hour.

"The bounty means if you knock them out, you collect the money," said John Crabbe Jr., owner of the Vermont Tent Co. Crabbe organized the benefit with other local business owners who share a love of poker.

The Vermont Tent Co., Finnigan's Pub, Junior's Italian Restaurant, Lippa's Jewelers, and the Doubletree Hotel chipped in to sponsor the event.

"I've been putting on poker tournaments for 20 years," said Crabbe, who used his own chips and equipment for the event. He said he plays in the tournaments whenever he can, but this one was too large to manage and play at the same time. He's played well lately, too, with first-, second- and third-place finishes in the last three months.

Frank Salese Jr., who owns Junior's Italian restaurant in Colchester, said the aim of the benefit was to combine charity with a trend many Vermonters are excited about.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation granted 38 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions in Vermont last year. The average cost of a wish, which might be for a horse or a Hawaiian vacation, is $10,000. Most of the money comes from individual and corporate donations, and the remainder comes from in-kind contributions by the organizations involved in fulfilling the wish. This year's program budget is $950,000, executive director June Heston said.

"I've placed in the money a few times," said Rob Joy of South Burlington as he waited in the lobby as an alternate. He thought he had a ticket at the door but said it must have been sold. It wasn't long before a seat became available.

Nathan Lamarche of Milton was headed out. He said playing for a good cause makes losing a "little easier."

Burlington Free Press

News Added: 19 November, 2007

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