Roll the Dice

The 8th annual Bunco tournament hosted by Gamma Pi ESA will be Saturday, August 22, 2015.

It’s that time again! The 8th annual Bunco tournament hosted by the Inola ESA Gamma Pi chapter will be held Saturday, August 22, 2015 from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Inola Hay Capital Round-up Club. Attendees will enjoy a thrilling evening of competition, prizes, food and lots of fun. All proceeds will benefit Food 4 Kids at Inola Elementary School, the Compassion Women’s Center, and other community projects. The Food 4 Kids program, sponsored by the Salvation Army, provides backpacks of food for children in need to take home on the weekends. The Compassion Women’s Center in Inola provides pregnancy resources including prenatal care and counseling to women in Rogers County.    

Another benefactor of the event is the Inola Ministry House, which provides free clothing and food to the needy. Bunco participants who bring a non-perishable food item to donate will receive a chance to win a gift basket. The more items you bring, the more chances you have to win.

Members of Gamma Pi ESA not only raise money to help worthy causes, they have a great time doing it. Over 100 door prizes will be given away during the tournament. Local merchants and ESA members donate the prizes, which include gift certificates and a huge assortment of merchandise.

In addition to game winning prizes, lots of special prizes will be given for a variety of reasons – oldest and youngest players, most enthusiastic player, most recently married, and player who most recently received speeding ticket, just to name a few. Attendees may also purchase tickets for $1 to participate in a 50/50 cash drawing. The winner receives half of the proceeds, while the other half goes to Gamma Pi. Six tickets for $5 will also be available. In addition, attendees will have the chance to win overnight accommodations to Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa and dinner for two at McGill’s.

Returning as special guest player and emcee is radio personality Carly Rush. “Carly is so much fun, and we’re thrilled she is coming back again this year,” says Gamma Pi member Janie Stevens. Donna Titsworth has again quilted and donated a beautiful butterfly motif quilt to be given at the tournament. Attendees will have the chance to win the quilt by purchasing a ticket for $1 or six for $5.

For those who have never played, Bunco is an easy-to-learn dice game that is fun for all ages. A game consists of six rounds (1’s thru 6’s). First round, you roll for 1’s, second round 2’s, and so on. The objective is for you and your partner (the person sitting across from you) to roll more of that round’s number than the other team before the head table rings the bell. Play rotates from player to player clockwise, after a player does not roll that round’s number on any of the three die, a birdie (three of the same die but not the round you are playing) or a Bunco (three of the same die the round you are playing). If you roll that round’s number on any one of the three die, you continue rolling until you don’t. As soon as a team from the designated “Head Table” gets 21 points, the round is over.

Tickets to the Bunco tournament are $15 for those who pre-register and $20 at the door. Seating is limited, so pre-registration is encouraged. Each ticket includes a free lunch of a half sandwich, a package of chips, a cookie and either water or coffee, as well as a goodie tote bag containing merchandise donated by local merchants and club members, along with the Bunco rules and score cards. A concession stand with sandwiches, chips and homemade desserts will be available.     
Pre-registration for the Bunco tournament ends August 17. To pre-register, mail your registration to Gamma Pi ESA, P.O. Box 183, Inola, OK 74036, or you can call (918) 637-0595. The Inola Hay Capital Round-up Club is located at 31236 S. 4230 Rd., approximately a mile and a half south of US-412.