BY DANIELLE WILLIAMSON
NEWS STAFF WRITER
SOUTHBRIDGE —
A weekend poker tournament left attendees wanting more, and the event’s organizers seemed willing to satisfy that desire.
The success of a “No Limit Texas Hold ’Em Poker Tournament,” held Saturday at the Southbridge Hotel & Conference Center, was twofold. First, it raised $18,000 for the Southbridge unit of the Webster/Dudley Boys & Girls Club. Second, it gave hundreds of people something to do in a town that is often criticized for its lack of entertainment options.
“We’re going to try to make this a semi-annual event,” said Police Chief Daniel R. Charette, who serves on the club’s board of directors. “People had a great time.”
More than 300 people attended the tournament, which was organized by police Detective Wayne Boiteau. Among those in attendance was Connecticut native Brian Dennehy, an actor who has been in more than 100 movies or television shows, including “Romeo and Juliet,” “Death of a Salesman,” and the Jack Reed series of TV movies.
The first of the tournament’s six rounds started at 6 p.m. with 211 players, all of whom paid $100 for $1,000 worth of chips. At the end of the last round, many players took advantage of the optional $50 re-buys. A portion of this money was added to the prize pool.
“We had a little coming in from a lot of people,” Charette said. “That’s quite a bit of money coming in on one night. It’s the best fund-raiser we’ve had so far.”
An average of 30-40 youngsters, aged 7-18, visit the Boys & Girls Club each weekday. The club is open 2:30-8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
This week, Charette said, the club will move from its Chestnut Street location to a space in the former Sacred Heart School on Charlton Street. Negotiations with the Diocese of Worcester for the space started months ago. At the new location, there is a gym — a key component that the Chestnut Street building lacks.
Charette said the idea for a poker tournament was appealing, because it deviated from the common fund-raising technique of asking local businesses for money. In addition, the substantial cash prizes gave potential contributors incentive to participate.
Half of the $36,000 raised will go to the club; the rest was divvied up among the top 24 finishers. Prizes ranged from $100 to $4,785.
Oxford resident John Salce was one of the last men standing around 2:15 a.m. By that time, the number of fans surrounding Salce’s table had dwindled. Yawns, the result of more than eight hours of poker playing and watching, were contagious.
But still, dozens of die-hard fans sacrificed sleep to see who would win the grand prize of nearly $5,000. They clapped as Salce won.
Salce, who grew up in Southbridge, said he had played in charity poker tournaments before. In fact, club supporters got the idea for a poker tournament fund-raiser after learning about similar events in other towns.
“It raises a lot of money in an easy way,” Salce said, as he watched Boiteau count out his first-place cash prize.
Southbridge resident Tanja Dominko went to the tournament as a spectator and to socialize.
“There are a lot of people here who didn’t gamble,” she said. “This isn’t just about gambling. It’s an exciting night out. I wish there were more events like this in Southbridge.”
The spacious hotel and conference center proved a good location for the event. Organizers said they were grateful to the hotel’s managers for donating the space.
Danielle Williamson may be reached at (508) 909-4133, or by e-mail at dwilliamson@stonebridgepress.com.
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