More than 25 students participated in a charity Texas Holdem poker tournament, hosted by the Bergen House, Saturday, Oct. 16, and winner Peter Hjort has decided to donate his $150 winnings to Rome Urban Ministries.
“I think that it was a huge success,” said Head of House Pete Bergen. “Any time you can get between 20 and 30 students out to participate and have the winnings go to a worthy cause, it is a win-win situation for everyone involved – for the students who are playing because they have bragging rights as the best poker player on campus as well as a positive feeling in knowing that what they are doing is going to a good cause; and for the charity of the player’s choosing because it is an unexpected gift and hopefully something can build on it in the years to come.”
According to Bergen, in a Texas Holdem tournament, players are given a set amount of chips at the start of the game. In this case, it was $1,000 worth. Then, all players are dealt two cards, which they keep hidden from the other players’ view.
“They bet on these two cards. Then three cards are thrown down from the deck onto the center of the table, known as the ‘flop.’ Players can then use their two cards plus the three in the community pot to form the best hand,” Bergan explained. “There is another round of betting before a fourth card, known as the ‘turn,’ is thrown down. Players bet again before the fifth card, called the ‘river,’ is thrown down. Then, one final round of betting is one.”
At any point, a player can call “all in” and bet the maximum amount of chips, but once a player is eliminated, he or she is out.
“I played like I normally play when I play for money,” said Hjort, a junior from Rome, Ga., about his strategy. “I did expect to finish well, but I was not expecting to win. It was fun, and I got to help out a good cause. I chose Rome Urban Ministries because my mother works there.”
Rome Urban Ministries is a social ministries organization of the United Methodist Church, North Georgia Conference, that sponsors and administers community social programs in Rome and Floyd County. Some of these programs include the crisis food pantry at South Broad Methodist Church, after-hours food pantry at North Rome United Methodist Church, Children’s Summer Food Service Program and providing transitional housing for homeless families and for persons living with AIDS or HIV.
