ALBANY, N.Y. -- More than 300 poker players from across New York State come to Albany to try their hand at the free Card Sharks Poker Tournament.

Participants have been competing on a weekly basis for the past four months in bars and restaurants. Only the winners of those free weekly poker leagues were eligible for Saturday's tournament.

The 100 local champs competing came out of The Clubhouse Race Book, in Albany, and the Angry Penguin bar, in Waterford.

"The people love it cause they get to play poker. The beauty of the way we do it as a free game is that everybody can play. You get the really good players. You get the guys who aren't that good, but think they're really good. And the best thing is, that you get the people who've never really played before," said Free Card Shark Ben Scheck.

The winner of the state final gets $10,000.