For many nonprofit organizations, the economic downturn has stifled fundraising efforts. However, a local bar is stacking the deck to encourage University students and area residents to give back.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights mean charity poker at The Heidelberg — a German bar and restaurant on Main Street. The smoky upstairs bar converts into a miniature casino, complete with five poker tables, two cash tables and a blackjack table. And though the house always wins at most casinos, at The Heidelberg, charities are the true winners, the program’s coordinators say.

One week last month, 50 percent of the entrance fees went to benefit Disabled American Veterans. Every week, a different nonprofit organization benefits, and the poker room is booked with charity events until March of next year.

Volunteer Jim Altman calls these charity poker nights "millionaire parties."

“The reason (the poker nights) have gotten more popular is because with the economy the way it is, less and less people are willing to give a nice share of money to charities,” Altman said. “It is an excellent way for charities to make money for their group.”

With attendees including everyone from Ann Arbor residents to Law School students, the charity poker room can raise anywhere from $50 to $10,000 for a group, depending on the number of players in the tournament.

Allen Ginzburg, a second-year Law student, is a regular at the Wednesday night poker tournaments. At a recent Wednesday night tournament, Ginzburg walked away with about $100.

“I usually come maybe once a week,” Ginzburg said. “I really do like playing poker and it’s a good cause, and it’s good to know that even if I lose, a part of the money is going to charity.”

“It’s a good combination of the two,” he added. “I know there are a few (other bars that offered poker) that used to be in the area, but (they) aren’t open that often.”

Cheryl Altman, charity coordinator, said the notion of poker is a no-brainer for charities.

“A charity bar in downtown Ann Arbor is a sure thing,” she said. “It’s just natural.”

“Students should not be intimidated in coming here,” Cheryl Altman said. “We do keep in mind that students will be playing. We want to have tables for people with less money in their pockets, and one for those with more and maybe one in the middle.”

Nonprofits can book the poker room for $50 per night in order to benefit their causes, whether raising money for a loved one or educational institutions.

For the charity on a given week, it is very hard to lose money on tournament days since the nonprofits only pay $50 per night. Because the charity gets a portion of each player’s cover charge, the amount raised does not fluctuate based on whether the player wins or loses.

After radio and television attention, Mark Sackrison, owner and pit boss of the upstairs poker room, said he hopes more people will attend the poker nights. At a Wednesday night tournament recently, Sackrison estimated the two full tables would raise between $1,500 and $2,200 for charity.

According to Sackrison, if the poker room turns out to be full, the charity can make between $7,000 and $10,000.

“The charity technically sets the rules,” Sackrison said. “We try to run the room as close to a casino as possible.”

According to Sackrison, many other poker rooms are closing because of insufficient funds and The Heidelberg poker room is soon to be the only poker room in Ann Arbor.

“Some like to call it a loophole in the system,” he said. “Some people look at us running a casino without getting a gamer’s license, but it is licensed by the state.”

Although the state of Michigan is hesitant to give a license to a bar for an 18-and-over poker room, Sackrison said that it does nothing but help the charity and the economy.

“There are 172 of these rooms in the state right now,” he said. “We employ a decent amount of people.