Attention all poker kings and queens: Texas Hold ‘em is coming to SF State. So, it’s time to prove your stuff ace, and with the revenue going to help support the athletic department it doesn’t matter if you are dead money.

The event is a Texas Hold ‘em Tournament on Friday September 16. It will be held in the main gym and it will cost $60 in advance and $70 at the door. The proceeds will go to the men’s basketball team and the athletic department. And according to Assistant Coach Jake Macleod-Roemer, who is helping with the event, there will be multiple prizes.

“There will be two sets of golf clubs, one is a Wilson Deep Red and the other is a Titleist DCI with an estimated $500 to $600 value,” Macleod-Roemer said. “There is a weekend two night stay at the Crowne
Plaza Hotel, a threesome with a golf pro at the private Lake Merced Golf and Country Club, multiple food gift cards, SFSU gear, and we are continuing to roundup other items.”

There are an estimated 40 participants so far and Macleod-Roemer said the numbers do not only include students. He has a come one come all attitude and extends an open invitation to everyone.

“Whoever wants to help support SFSU can come,” Macleod-Roemer said.
That includes alumni, like Scott Curry a 2004 SF State graduate with a degree in criminal justice. Curry has been playing poker for two years, mostly at house games and small card room tournaments. He describes himself as a by-the-book player.

“I play somewhat conservative, not loose like beginners,” Curry said. “I’m not going to chase cards. I don’t play the other player; I play the cards in my hand. I don’t bluff my way into a big stack.”

Curry is not worried about winning the tournament, although he wouldn’t mind. He is just eager to play, have fun, and contribute to a worthy cause.

“(Winning) would be ideal, but either way I hope everything goes well for the program,” Curry said. “There are not going to be a lot of pros so it will be a more friendly and fun environment. People are playing for a cause, even if they do give their money away.”

Ryan Maloney, a senior exercise science major at SF State, says poker is his hobby and when he saw a flyer on campus for the event, he was eager to sign up.

“I like poker and (the money) is going to a good cause so it should be cool,” Maloney said.

Macleod-Roemer said the idea to hold a tournament was not his own, but he does believe that it will do two things: raise money and provide an event that will help garner enthusiasm for the school.

“Coach Treseler came up with the idea,” Macleod-Roemer said. “It is a nice way to gather funds and bring the campus together. I want to get as many students involved as possible.”

Although Maloney supports the program and makes it out to a few men’s basketball games a year, it takes events like the poker tournament to encourage his financial support.

“I wouldn’t donate $60 to the basketball team straight up, but I will for this event,” Maloney said.

According to Macleod-Roemer, the event appears to be raising money and bringing SF State students together.

“I have recruited a few friends to play. They are not big poker players but they follow the men’s basketball team,” Maloney said.

The tournament is for everyone from beginners to Rounders enthusiasts. If you want to donate to a worthy cause, have a chance at winning some prizes, or if you just want something to do on campus on a Friday night, come on down and go all in for SF State.

If you wish to sign up you can contact Jake Macleod-Roemer at (415) 338-7573