POKER IN THE WOOD
Twenty-plus years of bad beats, worse decisions, and friendships that somehow survived both.
- 20+ Years
- 300+ Tournaments
- 50+ Players
- Thousands of questionable decisions
One Table. Twenty Years.
It started over twenty years ago
A few friends, a folding table, and a deck that had already seen better days. Nobody planned for it to last. It just never stopped.
Friends moved away. New families were built.
Jobs changed, kids arrived, people scattered across cities — and somehow the game kept finding its way back to the same table.
Only a few originals remain
Two decades thins a roster. The ones still here have the scars, the stories, and the bragging rights to prove it.
JD went to Vegas — and still comes back
James “JD” DeBeck, an original, moved to Las Vegas and “retired” from regular play. He returns when he can, mostly to remind everyone he was here first.
Crystal used to play, too
JD’s wife Crystal was a regular at the felt back when the league — and all of us — were younger.
February 8, 2008. Mid-tournament, Crystal’s water broke right there at the table. She and JD racked up and left to head to the hospital. Their daughter Maisie was born that night — and would later graduate a 4.95 GPA valedictorian.
The game continued. The stories continued. The friendships remained.
And it’s still going
Same table. Same nonsense. New chips, older friends, and a fresh chase for Chief Donkey every single season.
Twenty Years in Pictures
Got photos from twenty years at the table? Send them in — this album is just getting started.
Pull Up a Chair
This isn’t just poker. It’s twenty years of friendship that happens to keep score.