Poker tourney helps youth

SALISBURY, MARYLAND -- It took less than 20 minutes to eliminate the first of more than 250 poker players at the second annual Eastern Shore Regional Poker Classic at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Friday morning.

With a tip of the cap, a round of applause from the remaining players and a new cap under his arm, casualty No. 1 walked out of the building.

But all of the players that get eliminated, short of the prize money, can take solace in the fact that while a good chunk of their entry fee will go to the prize pool, another more important part is going to charity.

All of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Friends of the Wicomico County Parks and Recreation Department's Tomorrow Fund.

"I'm always glad to get involved in something for the community," said Joe Kincaid, 55, from Cambridge. Kincaid has been playing poker for years, he has played at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City and participated in last year's event.

Kincaid and the rest of the field paid upwards of $500 to enter the event. Players who signed up early paid $540, those showing up Friday -- tournament director Jeff McMann said more than 100 players walked up Friday morning -- paid $600 to join the event.

After the success of the inaugural event last February, when more than 400 players were involved, this year's tournament was slated to be played in the Normandy Arena. Pre-registration was down and the event was moved back to the Midway Room. McMann and Wicomico County Tourism Director Sandy Fulton feel the low numbers early on are more a result of the current economy than the increase in the buy-in (up from $330 last year).

But with the added money and the amount of players that started Friday, McMann expects the prize pool to be around the same this year as last, when first place was estimated at over $30,000.

"To have 250 players to start this event is a success," McMann said.

The field was expected to be whittled down to about 150 players by the time things came to a close last night and will resume this morning at 10 a.m.

An 81-player maximum tournament (with a $100 buy-in) was held last night and this afternoon a $200 buy-in second chance tournament will be held sending more money to the kids. The Tomorrow Fund, helps underprivileged youngsters who would not have the means to participate in youth sports.

"In doing this tournament, the one, most heart-felt moment I had last year, it was on the second day of the tournament," recalled Fulton. "Jeff introduced me to the players and I just thanked them, because I said there's going to be several, several hundred children that would never be able to play in a recreation program, but because of you guys and ladies, they're going to. They stood up and applauded and that made me feel so good. They enjoy doing something they enjoy, but they love to know that's where all the proceeds are going, so that's a good feeling."

News Added: 10 February, 2008

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