Deaf Poker Tour Making Stop in Philadelphia for 1st Time This Week
Poker, at its best, provides an opportunity to bring folks together in an atmosphere of convivial competition.
The challenge of matching wits, but with camaraderie and bonhomie at the heart of the experience, is what gives the game a special appeal that has allowed it to endure.
That quality of the game will be on exhibit later this week and through the weekend when the Deaf Poker Tour pulls into Philadelphia for seven events over three days May 12-14 at Live! Casino & Hotel.
The Deaf Poker Tour was formed in 2006 by six friends and held its first full tournament in Atlantic City at the old Trump Taj Mahal (now the Hard Rock Atlantic City). Since then, the DPT, consisting of men and women, young and old, has made regular card-playing pilgrimages to Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Maryland and now Philly, so that its players can test their skills, try their luck and enjoy each other’s company — all for extremely modest buy-ins.
More than 100 players are expected to attend the Philadelphia poker convocation.
About DPT Events
The tournament provides sign language interpreters and writing materials at each table to facilitate the conversation among players, and between players and dealers. For the purposes of the Deaf Poker Tour, dealers are required to be trained in sign language to run the game.
“We’re thrilled to host The Deaf Poker Tour for their first tournament in Philadelphia,” said Anne Tran, director of poker at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, in a news release. “It is truly inspiring to see so many people with an affinity for the game communicate in a different way than we’re used to in the Poker Room. The tournament provides us with the opportunity to bridge the gap between the hearing world and the deaf community and we’re very proud of it.”
The dealers and pit managers at the Live! Poker Room are looking forward to learning a new skill and welcoming these new customers who have been steadfast in pursuing their poker passion, the casino said in a news release.
This Week’s Schedule
The schedule for the tournament:
The event being held in Philadelphia is DPT No. 51. At the last DPT in March, Andrea Wilbur was the DPT No. 50 main event champion in an event held at the Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover, Maryland.
For information, check out the group’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/DeafPokerTour or its webpage www.DeafPokerTour.com.
Commentary on PA and Poker Pact
The Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement is a pact among several states that allows players from different states to face off in online poker.
States involved in the MSIGA are Delaware, New Jersey, Nevada and now Michigan.
Pennsylvania, for more than a year now, has not joined.
Take a look here for our take on the issue.
Contributors
A longtime reporter and editor who began writing on casinos and gaming shortly after Atlantic City’s first gambling halls opened, Bill covered the world Series of Poker and wrote a syndicated column on travel to casino destinations for a decade.
