HOISINGTON — Heading into the Annual Texas Hold ‘em Bounty tournament this weekend, the Hoisington Knights of Columbus announced the rankings of the 2018 poker champions at its charity tournaments.

Jerry Morgenstern leads the pack with 37 points, followed by Mel Nuss, 34 points, and Mike Jones, 30 points. Rounding out the leaderboard are Audrey Jenisch, 29 points; Barbara Polzin, 27 points; Connie Mermis, 27 points; and Dan Steiner, 19 points.

“These champions were determined by giving each player 10 points every time they finished first ‘in the money,’ 9 points every time they finished second “in the money,” etc.,” Morgenstern said.

The Annual Bounty Poker Tourney is set for 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Hoisington Knights of Columbus Hall, 114 N. Main. The Knights are also hosting a shrimp and/or steak dinner that evening from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Anyone planning to eat after 6:30 p.m. should call Morgenstern at 620-786-0202 to guarantee a meal. That is also the number to call for questions about the tournament.

For the poker tournament, the buy-in is a $100 donation to get $200 in chips with no buy-backs and 30-minute periods. 

“We are going to give a $100 Bounty to one champion that is present for each 10 players donating,” Morgenstern said. “If a qualifying champion is not there, we will just give their bounty to the next present champion on this list. If you knock a champion out, you keep their bounty. The only way a champion can keep their bounty is to win the tournament. We will pay out 80 percent of the donations, minus the bounties, using the same payout schedule we use for our regular monthly tournaments and the K. of C. Council will use 20 percent to support area charities.