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Texas Hold ’em poker, in Ken Rabideau’s mind, is one part skill and one part luck.

You have to play your hands correctly, but in the end, you’ve got to get the cards.

Rabideau, a local mortgage broker, tried last week for the second time to make it to the finals of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Rabideau only made it to the first day’s evening session last Thursday.

His World Series of Poker quest began innocently for Rabideau four years ago.

“I got into a tournament at the Sahara (in Las Vegas),” he said. “Just by luck, I finished fifth.”

Rabideau was hooked. He began reading up on Texas Hold ’em and watching it on various cable television channels.

Last year, after trying his hand at a few tournaments in Black Hawk and Las Vegas, he decided to go up against the big boys.

He was eliminated in the early rounds of last year’s World Series of Poker, but he remained undaunted.

This year he finished 350th out of 2,500 players. The top 250 performers earn cash payouts.

“I was a couple of hands from the money,” Rabideau said.

The buy-in for the early rounds of the World Series of Poker is $1,500. Once you’re out of that initial investment, you’re done.

There are 55 events that comprise the World Series, which begins in mid-June and culminates with the Main Event, the finals in mid-July.

The event was formerly held at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in downtown Las Vegas. Because of the popularity of the event, which has been buoyed by television coverage the past few years, it was moved to the Rio Hotel and Casino.

With purses such as last year’s $8 million payout to the winner, the tournament draws amateurs and professionals.

Going up against the pros, the ones he’d seen on TV, was a tad overwhelming last year

“The first year was a little intimidating,” he said. “A lot of it is getting into the game, getting a feel for it. Then it starts to go away.”

A day’s run can last as long as 14 hours. To keep his mind sharp, Rabideau studies the table, even if he’s folded that hand.

“You learn something (and) you try to learn from your mistakes,” he said.

Good poker players are studying their opponents, trying to pick up tendencies.

“A big part of the game is trying to figure out how everybody else plays,” he said. “It’s a tournament event, not gambling.”

The best advice he got was that a good poker player has to eat right, get enough sleep and stay in shape for what, if all goes well, could be a grueling three-day weekend.

Even though he was eliminated early, last week was not a total loss for Rabideau. He headed to other casinos and got into some lower-stakes tournaments.

He finished 17th out of 360 competitors during one run at Caesars Palace.

It only whetted his appetite more. He’ll continue to play the occasional tournament in Black Hawk, and a couple of return trips to Las Vegas before the year is out are also on the agenda.

He’s got the bug. After all, he said, “With one turn, you can change a person’s life.”