Back in the days before the poker boom, in the days before online poker and huge World Series of Poker fields, the real road gamblers of America made their way around the South, fading the white line and looking for as many games as they could find. The game we all know and love to play, Texas Hold'em, takes its name from the Lone Star state. Now, most of the action is in Vegas or online. But, as the real Texans know, there is still action in the nation's second biggest state.

As you might have seen, a few of us from PokerStars hit Dallas this week for a few days of poker and basketball. The week began with a little game starring a few players from the playoff-bound Dallas Mavericks. As it turned out, 2004 World Series of Poker champ Greg Raymer was able to come along and ended up at the table with a few Dallas Mavericks players (formerly of North Carolina) who were happy to hear Raymer had recently relocated to Raleigh.

The Mavs house was a bit crazy Wednesday night. The team had already locked up its playoff spot and the crowd was rowdy. What's more, it was PokerStars hat night.

Between the third and fourth quarter, somebody from the Mavs organization grabbed Greg Raymer, Rich Korbin, and me. He dragged us through the bowels of the arena where we ran smack-dab into the face of the Mavs dancers.

Raymer, Korbin, and a bevy of lovlies

Before we could appropriately chat up the dancers, we were pushed to center court, where Raymer got entangled in a game of giant-card poker with a Mavs fan.

Raymer meets his opponent




Raymer sets his hand


Raymer's opponent reveals his ace-high flush, crushing the Fossilman's king-high, and once again proving that live, big-card, basketball court poker is rigged


Raymer gives his bust out interview

While the Mavs (and Raymer) lost that night, we found that poker is still alive and well in the Lone Star state. And that makes us all very, very happy. Thanks for having us, Dallas.