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Bluff salutes the brave men and women of
our armed forces fighting overseas, to whom
poker is an important camaraderie builder
and a welcome reminder of home. Bluff also
salutes (literally) Sergeant Matt Davis, “the
Marketing Director of Screaming Eagle
Poker”, an organization devoted to spreading
poker tournaments for our guys in Iraq.
Matt, is poker a great morale
boost for the troops?
Without a doubt. A good number of the
soldiers who make up Screaming Eagle
Poker are playing in these tournaments
between missions. Some of these soldiers
have to rely on good eyesight and instinct
to spot Improvised Explosive Devices
(IEDs) before they go off, while others have
had to provide medical care to their buddies
next to them, in life or death situations.
I definitely feel this is a good way to
take the soldiers’ minds off the grim reality
of living in a war zone.
The atmosphere before the game isn’t as
serious as it is during the game. Before the
tournaments, there’s a sense of relief
throughout the room. We’re all glad to have
another week we can put behind us,
because it also means we’re that much
closer to going home.
During the game, the room’s always
filled with loud comments and trash talk.
All of us know that any person in that room
is well-trained and can be counted on to
have our back on the field of battle. But it’s
fun to compete against each other and, for
a few hours each week, put rank and work
issues aside, fight across the felt in the
hope of winning that coveted “nylon
bracelet.”
Do you guys feel there is a similarity
to poker strategy and military strategy?
Sure, you can see the similarities
throughout the entire game. Before the
game, proper strategy and focus are the
main objectives, along with getting into
each other’s heads with trash talk, and
there is a lot of that. There’s a sense of
anticipation everywhere; it resembles a
room after a pre-mission brief. There’s little
emotion during the first few blind periods,
since most of the soldiers in the room
consider it their “mission” to win.
The soldiers who make up Screaming
Eagle Poker all have competitive natures.
The next tournament is the sole event some
soldiers have to look forward to throughout
the week. I hear it all the time. There’s a lot
of anticipation for the posting of the newest
points leaders. The soldiers will wait in line
for more than an hour just to check their
standings at the local MWR, which is the
civilian-run facility that houses our weekly
tournaments.
Had all the people involved played
poker before?
No, we offer free lessons to anyone interested
in learning the game. Many people
have taken advantage of this offer and now
play in our weekly tournaments.
What are the buy-ins?
Free. Our players compete for points and
prizes. Points accumulate over the weeks,
and there is a quarterly playoff between the top 16 players on the points leader board.
Do you play cash games as well?
It would be illegal for us, as soldiers, to gamble while
deployed; so there’s never money involved.
Is there a player that everyone
fears more than others?
(Laughs) Anyone wearing the nylon bracelet.
Do any of the guys have aspirations to play poker
in big events when they return home?
Yes. The SEP leadership is currently seeking sponsors
who would be willing to stake entry fees into bigger
tournaments upon our return to the States. Some
of the top players at Screaming Eagle Poker have been
known to enter smaller events and have had success.
Since military pay is so low, it is hard to enter the bigger
events. I would feel confident putting any of
Screaming Eagle Poker’s top players in any big tournament
Stateside, and have them compete successfully
against the best poker players in the world.
How did you guys get started?
The Screaming Eagle Poker Information Director
Sergeant Brian Buschor came up with the name and
pitched the idea of starting a poker league back home.
About that same time, Screaming Eagle Poker President
Sergeant Felix Gutierrez and Vice President Sergeant
Andrew Hart were holding their own No-Limit Texas
Hold’em tournaments at Fort Campbell in April 2005.
Screaming Eagle Poker Marketing Director Sergeant
Matthew Davis and Information Director Sergeant
Brian Buschor talked about holding more tournaments
and volunteered their help to run them. That
same day, Sergeant Gutierrez spoke about his vision
of holding tournaments in Iraq, and also getting bignamed
organizations in the poker community
involved.
When the 101st Airborne Division (Air
Assault!) arrived in Iraq, there were poker
tournaments being held at the main recreation
center, but there were no more than ten regular
players. The tournaments were poorly run
and the director had never even played poker.
After four weeks of promotion, the attendance
for these tournaments jumped from 17 soldiers
in the first week, to over 70 soldiers a week. The
Board of Directors was formed and can be credited
for getting Screaming Eagle Poker to where it
is today.
How can we learn more?
Be sure to visit us at our website
www.screamingeaglepoker.org for all the most
recent news on our organization, points leader
boards, photo gallery, product line, and also to
participate in our weekly contests!
Screaming Eagle Poker is also raising money
for Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring
Freedom injured or killed soldiers and their families!
Please visit our website to participate in this charitable fundraiser,
which we hope to make a permanent part of our organization.
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