Poker is a gamble, but for Arrowhead Grill owner Larry Walbridge, it was a sure bet.
Walbridge was one of the first businesses in Southwest Missouri to host No Limit Texas Hold'em Tournament poker play and take advantage of the food and beverage sales that accompany it.
Organizer Bill Johnson -- who quit his furniture business in Mt. Vernon to host the weekly tournaments -- contacted Walbridge in early December.
"He just came by," Walbridge said. "I was the first one he talked to.
"The first night there were 88, just by word of mouth. We were so overwhelmed. It's been a crowd every night. It's been quite a deal.
"Needless to say, I'm going to continue it. It's the best promotion for the money ($200). I know how many people see this -- it goes out word of mouth."
On Thursday night at the Arrowhead Grill, all the 120 spots for the free tournament were filled -- with many people anxious to get on the waiting list. Johnson said 120 players was the normal count each night.
"The hardest part of our job is telling people they can't have a seat," said Johnson who runs the tournaments with his wife Angie.
The Show-Me Shootout Tournament is in its third week. Businesses in Joplin (Monday), Mt. Vernon (Tuesday), Neosho (Wednesday) and Carthage (Thursday) host the no-charge event where people play for fun and tournament points. Each player gets $2,500 in chips to start out.
"They get pretty serious for a free poker tournament," Johnson said. "We have people travel with us every night of the week."
Sandy Brackett, who is regularly accompanied by her sister and mother, started poker playing at home and the tournaments were a natural extension of her interests. John Jensen was an online player who decided the live action made more sense.
"It's totally different online," said Jensen, a computer consultant and builder of web sites. "You don't know what you're up against. If there's a delay online it could be he got up to get a drink."
Brackett said they don't name it a hold'em tournament for no reason.
"It's knowing when to hold," she said. "If you don't get cards, there's no sense staying in."
"The odds will change on hands and number of people," Jensen said. "It's really mathematical on what you will get."
"It's more than playing the game," Brackett said. "It's a lot of things."
Jensen knows what he is talking about. As of Thursday, Jensen was the points leader in the tournament series.
The Johnsons enter a bigger arena on January 8 when "The Mad Genius of Poker" Mike Caro will host a seminar in Joplin followed by tournament play for a total prize package of $10,000.
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