Kevin Corrigan looked up and smiled after an hour of the Hospitality Association's Vegas Night Texas Hold'em tournament on Saturday night.
After betting his last five chips, he turned over a pair of aces to win the pile of red, white, blue and black chips in the center of the table. The general management junior has been playing poker for about two years.
With the prominence of poker TV shows and online gambling sites, poker — especially Texas Hold'em — has grabbed the attention of many MSU students.
"It's the new euchre, but with money," hospitality business senior Betsy Ward said.
In past years, the Hospitality Association has offered blackjack, craps and roulette.
But after Texas Hold'em tournaments became legal last year, the Vegas Night executive board decided to make it the focus of the event.
"The decision to do table games is pretty risky because there's no profit," said hospitality business senior Kourtney Kubacki, executive director of the event.
Kubacki said the association is guaranteed a profit from entry fees because it knows how much in winnings it has to dish out.
Tournaments seem to be filling community activities lists. Williamston Chamber of Commerce held a big Hold'em tournament last weekend, and one Super Bowl event this weekend includes a poker tournament that features celebrities, Fortune 500 executives and former NFL players.
Hospitality business sophomore Danny Kuk likes to play home tournaments.
"It's more social," Kuk said. "You get a bunch of your guy buddies, and it's a way to make money and (a form of) entertainment."
At the Union on Saturday, 65 students participated in the two tournaments: the regular tournament and the "high rollers." Buy-ins were $20 and $50, respectively.
Prizes for the top seven winners of the regular tournament ranged from $20 to $240 and $225 and $325 for the top two "high rollers."
The profit went toward next year's Vegas Night and The School of Hospitality Business.
Students at the event seemed to agree that Texas Hold'em is more popular than it ever has been, with the popularity of poker on TV having a strong influence.
Many said the college-age group is one of the biggest groups attracted to the game. While most students play on campus with friends, some prefer to play on Web sites such as PartyPoker.com.
"Poker has taken off like a rocket. It just exploded," said John Tarras, associate professor in The School of Hospitality Business. "The impact has been on the younger crowd."
