Players, charities win big in Westfield poker tournament

The Westfield Lions Club’s 2019 Fall Poker for Sight Texas Hold ‘Em tournament was a resounding success. A near-record 325 players participated, giving the Lions Club charity work a huge boost for the coming year.

Poker Chairman Lion Mike Birk said, “We could not be happier with the participation and enthusiasm with this Fall tournament. It was exciting to see that many players from all over the Midwest come to help out our program.”

This is serious poker with each Lions Club tournament paying out $25,000 in total purse, with $10,000 to the winner.

Every year, each of the three qualification rounds is dedicated to a local charity. Round one took place on Friday, with Hoosier Veterans Assistants Foundation’s Community Engagement Director Robert White accepting a check for $1,000. For round two, the Special Olympics Winter Games was the recipient of a $500 check from the club. Round three took place on Saturday, with Westfield’s own Heart and Soul Free Clinic received a check for $1,000.

Marcus Ellison placed first, winning the $10,000 first prize, along with a custom leather jacket and a one-of-a-kind Lions Club gold winner’s coin. Jeff Bruns was second, winning $4,000, and Scot Reeder, third, won $2,000. Second through ninth, the final table, also received a custom silver coin. Cash prizes are awarded to the top 25 players.

“Over the years our tournaments have built a reputation as some of the best in the region. Our plans are to grow this into a nationally recognized event,” said Birk. “More than 30 Lions participated in the weekend. It takes a lot of work by the club, setup, marketing, running the game, it certainly is a team effort. Thank you to all the Westfield Lions.”

About the Lions

Lions Clubs International is a non-political service organization of over 1.7 million members worldwide, established originally in 1917 in Chicago by Melvin Jones. It now has over 46,000 local clubs in more than 200 countries worldwide. The Lions’ motto is “We Serve.” Local Lions Club programs include sight conservation, hearing and speech conservation, diabetes awareness, youth outreach, international relations, environmental issues and many other programs.