Poker event, Vince Carter deal synagogue helping hand

A betting cage inside the Daytona Beach Kennel Club and Poker Room, and this man of God was there to oversee of all things -- a poker tournament with more than 276 players.

But it gets stranger because members of his congregation at B'nai Torah were the organizers.

Kane chuckles at the oxymoron of a synagogue organizing what some could call a secular activity, but describes it as "a congregation betting on poker in stressful financial times."

He said the temple participates in a number of charitable events, including sending gift boxes to troops overseas. However, as the country sinks into a recession and more people find it harder to give, "we couldn't keep going to the same sources," he said.

So the group brainstormed different events that would attract a larger audience beyond the congregation. In May, they sponsored a Platters concert, and Sunday it was the Inaugural Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza Poker Tournament, which was co-sponsored by The Venetian Las Vegas resort hotel and casino.

NBA superstar and hometown hero Vince Carter of the New Jersey Nets participated as a celebrity player. He said he often plays at the kennel club and that when B'nai Torah asked him whether he would be a part of the tournament.

But that wasn't the only treat players received Sunday, as the prize purse totaled about $35,000. The first-place prize, worth about $8,500, included a $5,000 seat at The Venetian's Deep Stack Extravaganza III Main Event on July 13. Second- through fifth-place prizes were valued at about $5,500 and included entry into The Venetian online Poker Room's Deep Stack Extravaganza III $2,100 event June 26. There were also $5,000 in door prizes.