Students gathered around to get instructions. Some were nervous because they’d never played Texas Hold ‘em, but everyone was in it for the fun … not to mention prizes. The annual SCCC Homecoming Week Poker tournament was Monday, Jan. 22, in the student union. The event kicked off a week of fun on campus.
Taycee Ruiz Rules for the annual competition were posted so everyone could see and abide by it. Students listened to the rules as well as had a copy in their hands.Bethany Wood Joshusa Revord, SCCC IT and helpdesk, explains how to play Texas Hold ‘em to students before the tournament began. Most students had never played the game.Bethany Wood Every play had an instruction sheet that not only stated the rules of the game, but also tips on how to play. The instruction sheet provided quick hints on the value of cards and what a winning hand looked like.Yesenia Soto Diego takes a few poker chips from his pile to raise the bet on the table. He later lost this hand because his bluff was called.Rubi Gallegos Thais Allen, volleyball coach, served as dealer at one of the six tables. She kept the game moving and helped students understand the game in the beginning. Once everyone learned how to play, she kept her table laughing by egging on the betting and competition.Bethany Wood This was the first time Mollie Mounsey, sophomore, played Texas Hold ‘em. She started off the night with “beginner’s luck” by winning several hands and increasing her pile of chips. Her luck, however, didn’t last the entire night and she was eliminated from the tournament.Taycee Ruiz A student checks his cards. He doesn’t have many chips left and has to be cautious or bluff. He ended up folding this hand.
Rubi Gallegos Alli Lyon, Wellness Coordinator, deals cards to students around her table. Not many were left at this point of the tournament. With each round, students were knocked out until it was narrowed down to just the prize winners.Photo Courtesy of Roy Allen Students who finished in the final five for the poker tournament earned different prizes. First place winner, Cristian Erives, third-year student, won a 360 bluetooth speaker; second place winner, won a $150 Hibbetts gift card; third place winner, Obadiah Barnett, freshman, won a $150 Saints Bookstore gift card; fourth place winner, Ben Finet, sophomore, won a Nike GPS Sports watch and fifth place winner, Valerie Caro, sophomore, earned BeatsX wireless headphones.
Rubi Gallegos Jafer Infante, freshman, laughs as he decides how to bet on his bad hand of cards. SCCC’s student government association sponsored the event to bring students who live on and off campus together for fun and a chance to hang out.
