Fabulous Knox Vegas

A couple of weeks ago, I accepted an "invitation" to play in a Sunday afternoon poker tournament at Club LeConte. I use the word "invitation" loosely because anybody willing to pay the twenty-five dollar entry fee could participate. All ninety-nine players who showed up and paid to play had their eyes on the prize - a trip to Vegas and a paid entry into a bigger poker tournament. Actually, there were two such prizes, so the last two people left with chips would win. I didn't. I made it pretty far, but there were still thirteen people left in the tournament when I busted out. That's not the interesting part though. The fact that there's a "free", open to the public, well-run poker tournament at Club LeConte every Sunday afternoon - to me, that's the interesting part.
Apparently, the Club is closed on Sundays. Closed, that is, for regular members-only business. The doors open, however, for the poker players. And from what I observed, it has given a lot of people a chance to enjoy an adult beverage (or not) and take in the magnificent view, while playing the game they love to play. People, who for the most part, would never have gotten that opportunity, if not for these poker tournaments. Normally, there is no entry fee and no prize, except maybe a free meal. Sometimes, the entry fee is a donation - money or food or a toy, depending on which charity is the beneficiary that day. The bartenders seem to like it. The wait-staff seems to like it. The poker players love it. And it brings some people downtown who probably wouldn't normally be there. Definitely a win -win in my book.