Donovan Roudabush
Staff Writer
Students closed their weekend with a classic poker night Sunday, Oct. 24, in the Gentile Gallery from 6 to 9 p.m.
An evening of Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and Texas Hold’em games was hosted by Pater Noster men’s household.
Founded in 2010, Pater Noster has hosted Casino Night as an integral function of the household, using gaming boards that were hand-constructed by the founders.
Students trickled in slowly at first, owing mostly to the rain. But the number of players picked up as the evening continued.
Students could “buy in,” paying 5 dollars for 75 dollars’ worth of chips, either via Venmo or cash. Playing their cards right, students could leave with more chips than the number they were given, which is entered into a leaderboard for a possible prize.
With game manuals near every table, the game floor was open to all students, from those with no experience to pros.
Many students like freshman Grace Boyle had no experience at all, but she said she felt she could confidently play blackjack because “you’re only against the dealer.”
Sophomore Harrison Fisher, who coordinated the event, said, “Our household is the household of fatherhood, and I think the connotation of gambling (in moderation, of course) — it’s a masculine thing.”
The room was filled with the sounds of smooth jazz and with gentlemen dressed in formal wear. A small selection of cookies, soda and bottled water was also provided as a courtesy to players.
Junior Christopher Sniffin, household coordinator, said, “I like to play cards myself. My buddies back home used to play Texas Hold’em on the weekends. So as soon as I learned we loved to play poker and stuff like that, I was all over it. The reason I really love this event in particular is because it is such a long-standing event for the household.”