The sixth annual Diablo Valley College Athletics Texas Hold Em Poker Tournament Fundraiser, with all proceeds going to student athletes, occurred on Saturday Feb. 11 in the cafeteria.

Leading up to the fundraiser, DVC athletes had been tasked with securing corporate sponsorships and selling event and raffle tickets. The effort led to an attendance of about 90 players and at the end of the night, an estimated $18,000 had been raised in the name of DVC Athletics. That money is tracked by the athletic department division secretary Marisa Greenberg, who said the teams will get a portion of the proceeds based on the amount they raised.

Women’s soccer coach Cailin Mullins said her team usually gets a couple grand. Mullins mentioned that DVC can only cover the basic costs and it’s the fundraiser money that allows for practice uniforms, taking trips in buses and meals for the athletes. Her goal is “to make no funds come out of player’s pocket.”

The poker tournament fundraiser started was started by the cross country coach Shelly Pierson over five years ago. After she ran it the first year she turned it over to be coordinated by the athletic department with Greenberg and Christine Worsley, the athletic director.

The tournament features real poker. That is, DVC gets a gambling license and contracts out the card tables and dealers to the poker tournament fundraiser company Blue Dog.

The authenticity of the gambling coupled with the additional license to sell beer and wine means that once the tournament starts, one must be over 21 years old to be in the room. A number of athletes help prepare the tournament and then left by the six o’clock start time. Though one woman soccer of age volunteered throughout the night while her boyfriend played in the tournament. The softball team had six to eight players represented in the tournament.

The top three players got payouts. In order from first to third the winners got $500, $250 and $150 that went to winners Jeff Lanter, Julio Borge and Jon Luis. Luis was a former first place winner.

The tournament buy-in was $75 and included food. This year the attendance number was shy of the record set last year of 103 players.

The beer was donated by Creek Monkey Tap House in Martinez and the wine was donated by Southern Wine and Spirits.

The main sponsors of the night were the DVC Foundation, Phil Johnston, Nick Johnston, Lehmers Concord, Kia Concord, Walnut Creek AquaNuts and Benchmark Construction.