In Deadwood poker, you go "all in" on betting for the jackpot. In keeping with 87 years of tradition, volunteers are going "all out" to produce the town's annual gold rush heydays celebration.

Visitors will collect the payoff at the Days of '76 beginning Tuesday, with the early events building to the main rodeo that is the reigning PRCA Medium Rodeo of the Year.

Rodeo chairman Mac Meyer said in defending its national title, the Days of '76 has made changes, including dropping the Sunday performance in favor of a Saturday night session.

The slack, or preliminaries, start earlier - on Tuesday - but there are still four main sessions, Thursday through Saturday. Meyer said more than 600 of the top Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association athletes are entered, competing for more than $47,000

The other bookend attraction for "The Days" is the extensive parade of bands, riders and historic vehicles. The parade will stretch out 3 miles as it loops through downtown and back to the rodeo arena on Friday and Saturday.

The procession moves on foot and horseback and features perhaps the Black Hills area's largest collection of early horse-drawn buggies, carts and wagons.

Volunteers in historic attire portray such legendary citizens as Wild Bill, Calamity Jane, Preacher Smith and Poker Alice. Others include re-enactors honoring the Pony Express riders, doctors, storekeepers, saloon girls, outlaws and prospectors lured to Deadwood by gold in the 1870s.

Collectively, theirs is a story that doesn't get old for visitors.

"It really is amazing that so many people actually plan their vacation around the Days of '76 celebration each year. That says something about our event, when people take a week or two off of work just to participate. And we are very grateful for everyone coming to take part," committee spokesman Ron Burns said.

For more about the events, go to www.daysof76.com or call 800-999-1876.

If you go

Rodeos: Tuesday: 8:30 a.m., steer roping preliminaries. Wednesday: 8 a.m., tie-down roping, steer wrestling and team roping preliminaries. Thursday: 8 a.m., timed event preliminaries. Main rodeo sessions at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets: 578-7702 or 800-838-2855 or online at www.deadwood.com

Parades: 1:30 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday. Longtime St. Onge resident Julia Kinghorn is this year's parade grand marshal.