Man bets gaming parlor will draw ’em in

Gresham resident opens poker room

By Shannon Wells

The Gresham Outlook, Dec 16, 2009

Jim Clark / The Gresham Outlook

Gresham Players Club manager Aaron Vaughn Berlin deals the cards during a game of poker at the new poker room in downtown.

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Once associated with cigar-smoking and whisky-sipping older men in the back rooms of taverns, poker has re-emerged in recent years as a challenging game of skill that’s fun for the whole family.

It’s that evolution that inspired Jacque Lavadour to open a downtown Gresham business dedicated solely to Texas Hold ’em-style poker games.

Tucked away just off Main Avenue in the former Trifles & Treasures antiques space, Gresham Players Club provides a simple concept: Six oblong poker tables, cards and chips in an alcohol- and smoke-free environment.

Lavadour, 33, an eight-year Gresham resident, talked to The Outlook about his detour from career electrician to gaming parlor owner. He’s joined by Aaron Vaughn Berlin, who returned from Texas to help with the new venture.

Outlook: Of all the business models out there, what led you to a Texas Hold ’em parlor?

Jacque Lavadour: “I’ve played (poker) at some of the places in Portland. Friends who live out here said it would be nice to not have to drive so far to play” in groups. “People are coming in (to Portland) from places like Welches and Rhododendron. I’m trying to make it convenient for local poker players.”

Outlook: What do you say to those who raise an eyebrow about a table-gambling parlor in the middle of town?

JL: “We have a social gaming permit. You’re not playing against the house. It’s classified as a skill game, not like roulette where you just spin a wheel … I think a lot of people are realizing what (social gaming) is.”

Aaron Vaughn Berlin: “It’s more like a chess game than a gambling match.”

Outlook: What’s behind the recent explosion in poker’s popularity?

JL: “The Internet. And people see how cards are played on TV. Those shows help you learn the game, how it works. It’s definitely helped boost the sport.”

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