Tournaments
Enter a chip tournament and play to the final
What to expect
Understand what a tournament is, and what it is not
A chip tournament is an organised evening of Texas Hold'em, held on Friday and occasionally on Saturday. It is limited to twenty-four players and begins at eight, after supper, with a simple structure that rises every twenty-five minutes. The tournament lasts about three hours, depending on the cards.
There is no entry fee and no deposit. No prize is awarded in money, goods or privileges. A player who wins the last hand is named Champion of the evening and has the name written on the board in the front hall. The cup, which is brass and rather ugly, stays on its shelf above the kitchen door, and is polished each Monday by a member of staff who has never been asked to.
We recommend tournaments to anyone who enjoys a good evening and is curious about the game. Beginners are welcome at the Friday tables, where the dealer announces each stage, and those who prefer simply to watch will find a bench at the rail and a pot of tea close by.
From list to board
Follow the evening from the list to the final
Put your name on the list
Ring or ask at the door from Thursday onwards. Names are written in order, and when twenty-four are reached a waiting list is kept. Please tell us at once if you cannot come, so that the next name can be called.
Dine beforehand
Supper is served from half past five, and tournament players are seated close together where possible. The kitchen offers a lighter option for those who wish to eat quickly and be ready for the first hand.
Check in by half past seven
Alana Curtis checks proof of age at the door and ticks each name against the list. Any player not present by the start of the first level is dealt out, and the seat goes to the first name on the waiting list.
Draw for seats
Seats are drawn by lot from a shoe of numbered cards. The draw is repeated when tables are combined, so that no player enjoys a favourable position throughout the evening.
Receive your chips
Every player is given the same tray of chips, counted aloud by the dealer. The chips hold no value, cannot be exchanged and are returned at the end of the night.
Play the levels
Levels last twenty-five minutes and are marked by a small hand bell. The dealer calls the new level aloud, and a printed card on each table shows the amounts that apply.
Take tea at the interval
Once the fourth level is done, play stops for twenty minutes at the tea counter. Chips stay in their trays while the front room is quietly tidied and the players take some refreshment.
Combine the tables
As players leave, tables are combined and seats are redrawn. The room contracts, the pace slows and those who have left often stay on the benches to watch.
Play the final table
Six players remain at the main table beneath the brass lamp. Everyone else gathers behind the rail, and the dealer announces each card in a low, even voice.
See the name go up
The champion's name goes up on the board in the front hall, and the room claps. No prize changes hands, nothing is printed or presented, and the evening ends with a final pot of tea.
Timetable
Plan your time with this outline of the evening
SupperServed in the dining room; tournament players are seated together.17:30
Check-inNames ticked, proof of age shown and seats drawn.19:30
First levelsTwo levels at an easy pace, with plenty of conversation.20:00
Tea intervalTwenty minutes of tea and sponge, with the chips left in their trays.21:15
Later levelsTables combine and the pace quickens as players leave.21:35
Final tableSix players beneath the brass lamp, with the room at the rail.22:15
The boardThe champion's name is written up, and the evening closes.22:45