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Do stars know when to hold 'em?(The Desert Sun)Dick Van Patten leads inaugural celeb poker tourney at desert casino By Maggie Downs The Desert Sun Poker is a longtime family tradition in the Van Patten family. Actor and avid card player Dick Van Patten said he taught his son, Vince, to play - and deal the cards - at an early age. "At my weekly card games, Vince would say, `Can I go to bed yet?' And I'd say, `Shut up and deal!' " Van Patten joked. Van Patten, beloved for his role as Tom Bradford on the comedy "Eight is Enough," will lead the inaugural celebrity poker tournament today through Sunday at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. A portion of the proceeds will pay for a Christmas party for the spouses and children of Twentynine Palms-based Marines serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. "My father was in the military, so as soon as I heard about the cause, I knew this is something I wanted to do," Van Patten said. Van Patten himself was taught to play poker at the age of 9 by his father. He passed on the tradition to his sons Jimmy, Nels and Vince, all of whom are scheduled to play in this weekend's tournament. "Jimmy's good. Vince is very good. But Nels, he's not so good," Van Patten said. "I think he's a little worried." Will he take them? "I think I could beat all of them," he said. Long before poker enjoyed a resurgence with several televised games and online tournaments, Dick Van Patten served as a commentator for the World Series of Poker. Now the game is widely recognized as a sport of strategy and skill, and an estimated 60 to 80 million Americans play poker. Van Patten's son, Vince, is currently a commentator for the World Poker Tour. "I think my son's show really made poker popular again," Van Patten said about the game's recent revival. "They had poker shows on before - I was a commentator myself - but they never thought to show the cards to the audience," Van Patten said. "That's what did it. That's what got people interested." The best poker games, he said, are with other actors. Good thing that's what is in the cards for this tournament, as Van Patten will be joined by many actors and veteran poker players like Lyle Waggoner, Jennifer Tilly, Connie Stevens, Fred Willard, Shecky Greene, Mickey Rooney, Wilford Brimley and more. "It's really fun to play with guys in show business. They're funnier, you know?" Van Patten said. "They're probably the best at bluffing, too." This weekend's tournament will be a five-card Texas Hold `Em game with a $25 buy-in and no limit. It's not Van Patten's preferred type of poker, but it'll do, he said. "I don't like Texas Hold `Em as much as Seven-Card Stud," he said. "But you don't find people who play Seven-Card Stud anymore. And Five-Card Stud is just about extinct." Even if he doesn't get a straight flush during the tournament, Van Patten said he'll leave the table a winner. "I'm really excited to sit down and play with so many friends," he said. "Poker brings people together, just like family." Maggie Downs is a features reporter for The Desert Sun. She can be reached at [email protected]. Glance: Dick Van Patten Celebrity Poker Tournament What: A no-limit Texas Hold 'Em game. Things kick off with a celebrity and VIP party from 7 p.m.-midnight Friday. Qualifying rounds are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and a re-buy round from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., both on Saturday. The finals begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, followed by a banquet from 6 to 9 p.m. When: Today-Sunday Where: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio How much: Buy-in is $250. Total purse is estimated at $50,000. Reservations: (800) 827-2946 More info: www.fantasyspringsresort.com On newsstands now Check out this week's edition of Desert Post Weekly for an in-depth Q&A with Dick Van Patten, a special Queen of Hearts column by Jill Cohen, rules of Texas Hold 'Em, poker lingo and a "where are they now" for the celebs visiting. |