All the players in Sunday night's Texas Hold-'em poker tournament at the Jefferson City YMCA felt like winners.
The inaugural Fundraiser Underwater Poker Tournament to benefit Diving with Disabilities drew 15 competitors, enough to fill three tables.
Jeff Adams, owner of Scuba Adventure in Jefferson City, said it's a great way to help law enforcement and the community.
Diving with Disabilities (also known as Dive with a Cop) gives people who normally wouldn't get a chance to breathe underwater a once-in-a-lifetime experience, according to its Facebook page. If the clients' skill levels allow it, they will get to learn what it feels like to be weightless underwater.
The next Diving with Disabilities event is March 4.
"(The events) let the community see law enforcement from the good side," Adams said. "It's just such a rewarding thing to do with these kids."
Not only do law enforcement officers participate in the dives, but so do volunteers from all walks of life, he said.
And, during the last dive, clients with all types of disabilities participated.
"I had parents with tears in their eyes," Adams said. "They said, 'This is the first time my child's ever been able to do something when I didn't have to be involved with them.'"
For Sunday night's fundraiser, participants paid $40 to play. Split into tables of five, with dealers and played for about 25 minutes. The leaders of the three tables after the first 25 minutes played for the championship.
Sponsors donated prizes for the players, so regardless of whether they won, they received something for the effort.
Osage Beach Police Lt. Mike O'Day was one of the early contenders to come to the surface of the pool at the Knowles YMCA.
Although he'd lost all his chips, O'Day said he'd like to try underwater poker again.
And there was a challenge under the water, O'Day said. You could only communicate with hand signs, he said.
All in all, he said it was "a pretty cool event."
Why did he suffer an early exit?
"Sometimes you just take chances," O'Day said. "And my mask was leaking."
It didn't matter because the poker was for a good cause.
Maries County Sheriff Chris Heitman has been a longtime supporter of Diving with Disabilities. He served Sunday night as a dealer for one of the underwater poker tables.
In Texas HoldEm, the dealer deals each player two cards that only the player can see. Each player uses those cards and cards from a common pile the dealer turns over in the center of the table to build the best five-card hand.
The winner of Sunday night's game was Josh Robins, Heitman said. However, everybody who participated enjoyed the competition.
"I think people (are happy) whether they won or not."