Players pray for winning hands at church-sponsored Hold ‘Em tourney. This weekend’s No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournament at St. Patrick’s Church isn’t merely the church’s way of saying thank you to local poker players. “It is by far our most successful fund-raising opportunity,” says Dave Kramer, vice president of St. Patrick’s Athletic Association. “And the great thing about Hold ‘Em is the number of new players that have been attracted to the game.”

Kramer bets on bringing in card fans from all over Northeast Ohio. But they’re not professionals, he says, so it’s a good chance for the curious to try a hand or two. “This is not the World Series of Poker,” he says. “We have people that never played a tournament before at our final tables.” And winners do indeed pocket cash (the church takes a portion of table buy-ins). “Although success is measured by the amount of money you collect, the real fun is sitting at the table with a group of people,” says Kramer. “There’s no better feeling than raking in a huge pot.”
Fri., Jan. 6, 6 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 7, 11 a.m. & 6 p.m.

This article appears in Jan 4-10, 2006.