Hold'em On
Hold?
I
Steve Stein
Contributing Writer
p
isgah/Zeiger and Bloch/Israel
B'nai B'rith lodges have orga-
nized a Texas Hold'em poker
tournament once or twice a year since
2005 to raise money for B'nai B'rith
sports programs.
A tournament has been held each
January since 2009 at the Jewish
Community Center in West Bloomfield,
but that streak will come to an end this
month.
New charity poker rules by the
Michigan Gaming Control Board, which
regulates gaming in the state, have
put the B'nai B'rith tournament on the
endangered list.
The rules were adapted by the MGCB
in July 2014 and extended this month
to July 2, 2015, in response to a court
injunction against other new rules the
MGCB wanted to put in place.
The Michigan Charitable Gaming
Association sought the injunction, which
has been appealed by the state to the
Michigan Court of Appeals. The case is
scheduled to be heard Feb. 3.
B'nai B'rith tournament spokesman
Rick Sherline said two of the new rules
are having the most impact on the deci-
sion whether or not to continue the
tournament.
"One new rule requires the state to do
criminal background checks of the deal-
ers, which takes time but otherwise isn't
a problem for us:' he said.
The other new rule that is a prob-
lem, Sherline said, requires prize
money to be paid from gross instead of
net proceeds.
"Our prize money is 55 percent of the
net proceeds:' Sherline said.
"We have expenses. We have to pay for
things like food and use of a room at the
JCC. If we're not getting enough revenue
to pay our expenses, it doesn't make
sense to hold the tournament, especially
because of all the work that's involved:'
Sherline said there are plans to contact
past tournament participants and spell
out what's happening.
If enough agree to play — "we need
to have 40 to 45," Sherline said — a
tournament could be held in early
March.
Sherline said tournament par-
ticipation has been declining, in part
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because he thinks the nationwide
poker craze has died down.
"Plus, I'm sure some people who have
participated in our tournament and not
done well probably aren't interested in
participating anymore. They're probably
saying, 'Been there, done that.'
"We have a solid core group of 40 to
45 participants we count on. We'll see
what they want to do:"
MGCB Executive Director Rick Kalm
told mlive.com reporter Emily Lawler
the board is changing the charity poker
rules because charities were being hurt
by the old rules.
On A Roll
The second half of the B'nai B'rith
Brotherhood-Eddie Jacobson bowling
league season is under way.
The four division winners in the first
half were the Manute Bowlers (Tigers),
Seal Team No. 7 (Lions), Spares Are A
Miracle (Red Wings) and Yogi's Rollers
(Pistons).
Each winner has qualified for the
three-week playoffs. Second-half divi-
sion winners also will earn a spot in the
playoffs.
There have two notable individual
accomplishments in the league this
season.
Ryan Columbus (LWLZ) bowled a
300 game Dec. 8 and Dave Shanbaum
(Transplants) rolled a 241-268-278-787
series Jan. 2, the first night of the second
half.
Shanbaum's series is the sixth-highest
in the league's 50-plus-year history.
The league bowls Monday nights at
Country Lanes in Farmington Hills.
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Saturday, 10am-5pm Sunday and Monday, Closed
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A visually striking evening of
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Hooping It Up
It's tipoff time for the B'nai B'rith basket-
ball league.
Play began Jan. 18 at the JCC in
West Bloomfield and will continue at 9
a.m. and 10 a.m. each Sunday for the
10-game regular season.
Five teams are in the league this
season, one more than last year.
Downtown Fox, Pisgah and Zeiger
each has a team and there are two
teams from Brotherhood, including
the new team. The top four teams will
make the playoffs. ❑
Please send sports news to
stevestein502004@yahoo.com .
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January 22 • 2015
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