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The first rule of this Fight Club is: you can talk about this Fight Club.



And the thumbs will be flying in full force at the "Rumble at Romine's," where Milwaukee's fighting video game players are gathering at 1 p.m. Sept. 17 for a full-fledged throw down at Romine's High Pockets, 6125 S. 27th St.



The bracketed tournament at 3 p.m. -- with casual free play unfolding a couple of hours beforehand -- welcomes players both hardcore and casual to see who is the best at commanding their video game gladiators.



It costs $10 to enter the "Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition" competition, with the top finishers each getting a percentage of the pot.

The Rumble will also host tournaments for "Marvel vs. Capcom 3," "Mortal Kombat," "Street Fighter III: Third Strike," "Tekken 6" and "Arcana Heart 3," with entry fees of $5 each. The tournaments are double-elimination, says Matt Syverson, the virtual fight club organizer who has been organizing the monthly events for about a year and a half.



"Fighting games were dead for almost 10 years," said Syverson, 32, who says Wisconsin's fight-game community is growing. "They have come back bigger than ever, and the head-to-head completion is the best. You are sitting down next to the person you a playing, and it is like chess trying to outsmart them."



Syverson and other members of the local fighting-game community, who organize themselves online, provide the game systems for the tournaments -- players need only to bring their own controllers.



"The community is really helpful," Syverson said, noting that novices shouldn't be afraid to show up and test their budding skills. "The only way you are going to get better is by losing, talking strategy with others and learning. We want people to get better."



Hardcore players shouldn't worry, the tournaments will test your talent, Syverson says. The Rumble should also provide some spirited exchanges, as anyone who has been thrashed by a superior opponent in a fighting game can attest.



"It can get heated," Syverson said about the competitive dialog. "There is definitely some trash talk, but we are really welcoming ... and just want to have a good time."