Who helps worthy causes to raise a MILLION DOLLARS in a single night? That’s right folks, iHostPoker does and iHostPoker did on Feb 9th, 2012 at the fabulous Corinthian located at 202 Fannin St at Franklin in the downtown historic district of Houston.
This magnificent neoclassical building at the corner of Main Street and Franklin was completed in 1905 as the home of the First National Bank, an institution which played an important role in the growth and development of Houston. At the turn of the twentieth century, it was not only the first steel structure in the city, but at an impressive eight stories was also one of the tallest buildings in the state – a skyscraper of its day!
The Corinthian occupies the first and mezzanine levels of the edifice: these were the elegant former reception areas once known as “The Great Hall” extending a full city block from Main to Fannin. Its most stunning feature is a majestic colonnade of Corinthian columns soaring to a height of 35 feet to support the original intricately decorated plaster ceiling. In the rear wall, a towering but long-forgotten Palladian window was recently uncovered in the process of an exacting restoration. The window is flanked by a graceful double stairway leading to the upper level.
The Poker Tournament
iHostPoker’s 7-year relationship with YES Prep Public Schools has developed into this historic event which required a year of planning, months of event preparation, and a solid week of execution which culminated in the most successful fund raiser to date. 65 Poker Tables, ~750 chairs, 80+ dealer/chip runners/pit bosses, catering staff, 50+ wait staff, bartenders, and a Gazillion poker chips!
This year there were two new corporate sponsors plus the addition of 5 Craps tables to entertain guests that were not fortunate enough to move on to the 2nd round of the poker tournament. Every little bit helped to push the final number over the 1-million mark.
This fund raiser has become the “don’t miss” event of the year in the oil & gas industry. Some guest flew in from as far away as South America in order to attend. The winners have their names and pictures published in leading industry publications.
iHostPoker is proud to be an integral part of this annual event and we look forward to shattering our fund raising goals again and again! We have the best team of dealers and support staff in the industry and I’m very proud of each and everyone of them for their hard work and professionalism.
There is no debating the fact that credit cards provide consumers with a convenient way of purchasing products and services. In addition to the convenience and rewards programs that many of the major card brands offer today, there is a very important consumer protection that comes with making purchases with your credit card instead of using cash. In the event that a consumer has purchased products that are defective or services are not delivered as promised, the fact that a credit card was used for the purchase provides the consumer with a degree of protection provided by the credit card company as an independent arbitrator for resolving disputes. When a consumer disputes a charge on their credit card for whatever reason, the amount that is disputed is held back from the balance that is immediately due until the dispute is resolved, including accrued interest on the charge.
A company that operates on a cash only basis is saving a significant amount of money by not having to pay all of the transaction fees associated with credit card purchases. Discount fees, Interchange Fees, Authorization fees, Statement fees, Monthly minimum fees, Batch fees, Customer Service Fees, Annual Fees, and Charge Back Fees. All of these fees are of course passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices, so there is a good reason to work with cash if you are seeing a substantial price difference. However, if you are dealing with a business that you have no previous experience in dealing with, then just view the slightly higher price that comes with a credit card transaction as insurance.
By doing business with a company that accepts credit card transactions you are assured that the credit card processing company has performed due diligence on the reputation and credit worthiness of the company, and you are also provided with a level of protection that is worth more than what you would save by dealing with a potentially shady ‘cash only’ company.
Even as we move to the end of the summer, we continue to see triple-digit days and not rain in sight. Sure, our homes, offices, and cars are equipped with air conditioning but that does not help our lawns and trees and exterior assets that are exposed to the elements all day long.
You end up with Lake Houston (the primary source of residential water for most of the city and suburban areas) looking something like this. What used to be beautiful water-front property now looks like an oasis in the middle of the Serengeti Desert. Also, if you drive along just about any country road you should observe the trees. About every 5th one you see is DEAD. Pine tree that have turned to a rust-colored hue from the lack of water which has made them susceptible to disease and paracites.
That’s right. Fires that destroy everything in their path. This is what was happening in Magnolia last week. Since then a new one has popped up at George Bush park over near Highway 6 & I-10. I’m sure that we all know someone or at least someone who knows someone that has been directly effected. A state of high emergency has been declared and FEMA is getting involved to help the unfortunate families that have lost their homes and property.
In the spirit of helping out those that are in need, Houston area communities are banding together to raise the funds needed to bring order back into our lives. Houstonians have been generous in the past with their donations to help the Earthquake victims in Haiti and the Tsunami victims in Japan. Just imagine the degree of their generosity when it comes to helping out their neighbors next door. iHostPoker has the winning formula for achieving fundraising goals by creating a fun and entertaining events specifically geared towards maximizing contributions.