One Sunday afternoon, a small band of people gathers to play cards for several hours in a secluded area.
It isn't a bunch of guys sitting around a smoky casino or someone's dank living room playing poker.
Instead, it is a group of people playing a card game called "Magic" at a small, quaint games store called Heroes Games & Hobbies located just off Baring Boulevard in Sparks.
"Magic," a strategic card game, is just one of a number of games supplied by Heroes.
Others include popular board games such as "Risk" or the World War I strategy game "Attack!" Games range from card games to miniature figure roleplaying games.
At Heroes, games are not only sold from the shelves, but also played at tables set up throughout the store.
Kevin Murphy, owner of Heroes, said customers sometimes purchase a game and immediately begin to play it in the store.
Also, individual game tournaments are conducted on a daily (and nightly) basis at the shop.
Some tournaments are ongoing throughout a period of several months with results being posted regularly.
Prize packages are also provided by the company's sponsor,Whiz Kids, and given to tournament winners.
The packages include items such as T-shirts or collectible figures for games.
"We have a different tournament every night of the week," Murphy said.
The busiest time during the week, Murphy said, is on Friday and Saturday.
He said on a typical Saturday during the summer he expects up to 40 tournament participants.
Sometimes the tournaments spill over into the shop parking lot.
Murphy runs Heroes along with his wife, Sherry, his brother, Mike, and sisterin- law, Cynthia, and is fanatical about the array of games he has to offer.
He usually participates in many of the tournaments he hosts, playing alongside his customers.
In addition, Heroes hosts individual game-board-building and miniature-figure painting contests during the week.
Throughout the store, glass cases display all the miniature game figures Murphy has painted.
Murphy also attends many national and international tournaments and conventions to gain an edge on what's going on in the industry.
He is also a nationally ranked player in the game MechWarrior.
Since the store's opening a year ago, it has accumulated a loyal following of local customers who frequent the shop from as far out as Carson City, Fallon and Lovelock.
"It's become a place for people to meet and play the games they enjoy," Murphy said.
"Everybody is looking for a game to escape in."
That's true for a range of customers from young teens to middle-aged corporate executives.
Even entire families spend an evening playing at the store.
Murphy's own children, ages nine and 11, spend a lot of time there.
So what makes Heroes so attractive to its customers? Ed Keller, a long-time Reno resident and frequent customer, said it is the friendly atmosphere that lures him in.
Keller said he has attended tournaments all over the country and hasn't found the same type of atmosphere anywhere else.
"I've traveled all over the country from San Diego to Seattle, and it's hard to find game stores that are family oriented," said Keller.
Another enticement, said Keller, is that players are not required to pay in order to participate, unlike other venues in town.
At Heroes, customers wishing to play games pay only if they mutually agree to do so.
Dr.
Cliff Roer, a teacher at Bishop Manogue High School, also comes in often and agrees that Heroes is unique.
He said the Murphys treat customers well and make sure that everyone shows respect and displays sportsmanship when playing.
"Some people are in business to make a buck, but he isn't like that," Roer said.
"He could make a killing if he wanted to, but he doesn't."
One obstacle for Heroes is the perception it is solely a hobby store that sells models and crafts.
"That's the hump we're always trying to get over," Murphy said.
