Poker Club at college

[Warder]

I'm attending the University of Pittsburgh in the fall and have had ideas about creating a poker club and getting funding from the university. I've been tossing a bunch of ideas around for the club like doing book discussions and such and obviously playing a few times a week, keeping a point system for the top 3 placers in each game.Then have a reward for the top 2 point holders, such as a free book purchase.

What do you guys think about this and do any of you have any good ideas for this? I'm just trying to find a group of guys that are serious about playing, and as we all know poker can be a pretty overwhelming task to go through by yourself. Any ideas that you guys can come up with for this would be greatly appreciated.

[neotope]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm attending the University of Pittsburgh in the fall and have had ideas about creating a poker club and getting funding from the university.

[/ QUOTE ]

As a proud alumunus of The University of Pittsburgh I think that is a great idea. To be an officially recognized club eligible for funding you must have at least 8 members and a sponsor who is a faculty member.

Some people may think it is crazy that a University would fund such a club. However I had a brief stint with the Dodgeball Club that received funding for dodgeballs and I believe sidewalk chalk.

The only problem I can see is if the club was giving out money for prizes in the tournaments. You might want to check the clubs at CMU because I know CMU hosted a poker tournament with prizes from sponsors.

If nothing else the club would serve as a good discussion group for improving poker play and finding games /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Oh, I'll be your first alumni member.

[msb]

Proud alumnus?!?!

Did you see that game yesterday? Ugh!

- Matt
(Proud WVU grad /images/graemlins/wink.gif)

[obeythekitten]

just start a facebook group and gather people through there, youd have to be retarded to think the school would give you money for a gambling club.

[pmuir10]

I got to Boston University, and the facebook group here is a great way to find games. You can also search facebook for interests poker and get all of them to join your group.

[SamIAm]

[ QUOTE ]
youd have to be retarded to think the school would give you money for a gambling club.

[/ QUOTE ]Wow. That's pretty caustic. The school gives money for the chess nerds to buy snacks while they play chess. The school gives money for the anime nerds to buy snacks while they watch movies. I don't see what's so amazingly absurd about asking for soda-pop money while you play poker.

I agree, the school might take issue with cash prizes, but they might not. Check-out the "home gambling" rules in your state. Don't take a rake (especially if you're already getting club funds) and it might be legal.

-Sam

[theredwave]

We have a poker club at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln that just started a couple months ago. The school doesn't give the club any money but of course they provide drinks for all of our meetings. The way it works is that members have to pay a $10 fee every couple of months in order to play in the tournament, a tournament is hosted like 4 times a year, and prizes are given out instead of cash. Also, some of the prize pool is donated to charity, not sure how much but it's like 10-20%.

[obeythekitten]

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Don't take a rake (especially if you're already getting club funds) and it might be legal.

[/ QUOTE ]

the issue has absolutely nothing to do with the legality of it...it IS an issue of spending university funds on an activity that is morally objectionable to many people.

by your logic should the school support a -

pornography watching group?

tequila drinking club?

gay sex socials?



i realize the examples are WAY over the top (obviously they are meant to be) but just because something is legal doesnt mean that the school should be spending funds on something like a gambling club.

side note - comparing poker to chess is absolutely retarded, and you know it.

[xtal]

I think it would definitely be a possibility. When I was embroiled in my undergraduate degree, the University of Toronto had a Beer connoisseurs society that received some support from the school. To dismiss the possibility of funding outright is a mistake, as most schools are willing to support student-run initiatives as long as they can be justified properly.

By the way, Pittsburgh is a good city to live in if you're a student, in my opinion.

[Big Country]

Sonoma State also had a beer Brewing Club, not to emntion a Wine Club that all received funding.

I would think ifit was presented more as a club for discussing books, debating strategy and practicing play, andthat "officially' sponsored Poker Club events would be with no rake or even free to enter with just prizes, you may have a better chanceof securing funding than if you presented the club as a way to hold a tourney a couple times a week.

That doesn't mean don't have a tourney acouple time a week or once a week or whenever, just also be sure to plan times for discussion of topics.

[Jersey Nick]

[ QUOTE ]
by your logic should the school support a -

pornography watching group?

tequila drinking club?

gay sex socials?

i realize the examples are WAY over the top (obviously they are meant to be) but just because something is legal doesnt mean that the school should be spending funds on something like a gambling club.

side note - comparing poker to chess is absolutely retarded, and you know it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would join the porno watching club if I get to watch with obeythekitten. It would be awesome to hear her caustic commentary.

obeythekitten: "Can you BELIEVE that??? Nobody makes those retarded sounds when they have sex!"

[SamIAm]

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just because something is legal doesnt mean that the school should be spending funds on something like a gambling club.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah (http://maroon.uchicago.edu/news/articles/2004/02/20/dorm_gamblers_hold_t.php), I (http://www.dailynebraskan.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/01/20/41ef4134e72fd) must (http://sao.cornell.edu/SO/search.php?igroup=750&year=organizations) be (http://my.brandeis.edu/clubs/poker) retarded (http://www.yorku.ca/scld/organizations/clubs.php?view=257). My (http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/421ed6c68160c) bad (http://columbia.campusnetwork.com/@CUPS/).

Kitten, you're pretty confident AND spiteful. You might want to check a SINGLE source before spouting-off. It's ok to be wrong, but don't be wrong and mean.
-Sam

[jojobinks]

i'm in! can i be in, from illinois?

ooh! my 600th post.

[Piper Tim]

[ QUOTE ]
the issue has absolutely nothing to do with the legality of it...it IS an issue of spending university funds on an activity that is morally objectionable to many people.

by your logic should the school support a -

pornography watching group?

tequila drinking club?

gay sex socials?


[/ QUOTE ]
I thought these clubs were called fraternities. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[TN_POKER_MAN]

I have a great idea: TRY IT!

They can't eat you. All they can do is say no.

If nothing else, start an online web ring/forum. I may not know how to do that, but I'm sure you young college kids would have no trouble getting that done.

Worse case scenario, call your club the Card Playing Club...not Poker Club.

[Warder]

Ok guys... thanks for all the feedback. Here's what I've come up with so far....

First of all I plan to have Weekly Club exclusive single table tournaments where the top 3 places accumulate a point total. Also, for showing up to meetings members will also get points. Then at the end of the month the person with the highest point total will get the next book purchased for them with the University funding money. No prizes will be giving for these tournaments. Also, once we get established I plan on having large open tournaments donating 10-15% to charity, 5-10% going back into the club and the rest being paid out accordingly. As far as the discussion part of the club goes, I think a good idea would be to have each person submit 1 hand history to me during each meeting and then I will type them up and make copies for everybody and then hand them out at the following meeting.... almost treating these as homework. Points will also be awarded for completing the hand history sheet. The larger part of the club will focus on book discussion. And I would like to make odds memorization of common situations mandatory. As far as asking for university funding goes, none will be used as a payout. I plan on putting this money toward Hoodies, shirts, hats, chips, and cards. Also I plan to have a fully functional website up in the fall with blog space for all of the club members.

Tell me what you think about my ideas so far and anything else you can come up with will be a big help. Thanks a lot
Mike

[SamIAm]

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large open tournaments donating 10-15% to charity, 5-10% going back into the club

[/ QUOTE ]
So, you'll charge a rake. That's a good deal. I hear all those casinos in PA are making lots of money.

Oh, wait. /images/graemlins/smile.gif
-Sam