Ike's Jabber Jaws bartender Chris Baker wasn't frightened when faced with a masked armed robber early today. He thought it was a hoax.

"It was very amateurish. It felt unplanned," he said. "It's almost like he wasn't holding the gun properly."

Baker said he was sitting at the end of the tavern bar at 433 Avon St. about 12:45 a.m. with six patrons when the door opened.

"A couple of guys came in, waving a gun around and telling everyone to get on the ground," he said. "I asked, 'Are you for serious?' And they left."

The men returned seconds later, again demanding cash.

"I said, 'No, I'm not giving you anything,'" said Baker, 41.

The robbers fled after they mistook his cell phone texting as attempts to contact police, Baker said.

"It's serious. They had a gun," said bar manager Stacey Roraff. "They will be found. We have them on camera and I can't wait."

The men entered the bar nine minutes after two bomb threats were called in almost 2 miles away at the Arena Sports Bar, 107 S. Third St., and Brothers Bar, 308 Pearl St., according to La Crosse police. The areas were searched, but nothing was found.

Baker said he doesn't scare easy - and it wasn't the first time he's faced the barrel of a handgun, either. A family member held him a gunpoint in 1991, he said.

While Roraff said she tells employees to surrender the money in a robbery, Baker "definitely deserves a raise" for his actions.

One robbery suspect was described as a black male, 18 to 25 years old, 5 feet 8 inches in height and about 120 to 140 pounds. He was wearing dark pants, a black ski mask and black jacket, police stated.

The second man also was about 18 to 25 years old, 5 feet 6 inches to 5-feet-8 and thin build. He wore dark pants, a black ski mask and a black jacket with white lettering or a design on the top half.

Anyone with information can call La Crosse police at (608) 785-5962. Reports also can remain anonymous by calling the La Crosse Area Crime Stoppers at (608) 784-8477 or (800) 947-3577. Callers to Crime Stoppers can be eligible for rewards of up to $1,000.