BY KAREN BOSSICK

A charitable Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournament will be held Friday night to benefit Company of Fools.

Bourbon and Betting, the new version of the Fools’ popular Casino Night, will be held from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at The Mint in Hailey.

The event will include the poker tournament, a free bourbon-tasting event and a variety of fun casino games.

All games are for entertainment only with the proceeds benefiting the Fools, who served up their first theater performance in the Wood River Valley in 1996.

Company  of Fools received the Idaho Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2004 and was honored as Arts Advocate of the Year by the SunValley/Ketchum and Hailey Chambers of Commerce. Founding members Denise Simone and John Glenn are also individual recipients of the Idaho Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts.

Single-player entry into the tournament is $500--$380 of that tax-deductible—and includes 2,000 Fools chips. General admission tickets are $150--$100 of that tax-deductible—and include 500 Fools chips to play such games as blackjack, craps and roulette.

The Fools will provide free wine, beer and appetizers, in addition to the bourbon tasting sponsored by Grand Teton Distillery, the creator of award-winning Idaho-made bourbons and vodkas.

Alison Van Hook, development director at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, said that The Mint is an ideal venue for event, as it shares a storied history with the Liberty Theatre where the Fools stage their plays.

“We hope this event will bring together longtime Company of Fools patrons, as well as a new audience that is excited to have fun and support theatre in our community,” she added.

To purchase tickets, visit www.sunvalleycenter.org.