Hundreds of famous faces and poker aces will head to the world’s largest poker casino next month for the 6th annual World Poker Tour® (WPT)
Invitational. Kicking off the event on March 1, Hollywood celebrities and
poker’s elite will walk the red carpet and then converge
on the green felt to go head-to-head in a Texas Hold ‘Em
poker tournament for charity, cash and the chance to become a WPT Champion.
Held each year at Los Angeles’ Commerce
Casino, the exclusive invitation-only event has become one of the most
anticipated stops on the poker circuit. Vince
Vaughn, Ben Affleck, Paris Hilton, Jason
Alexander, Cheryl Hines, James Woods, Don
Cheadle, Camryn Manheim, Pete
Sampras, Hank Azaria, Laura Prepon, Jon Favreau, Shanna
Moakler, Mekhi Phifer and Morgan Fairchild are among the many stars who have
put on their game face and played against WPT champions and top poker luminaries
like Antonio Esfandiari, Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth in the three-day tournament.
“Being the world’s largest
poker casino and so close to Hollywood, Commerce sees many pros and celebrities
come through its doors each week, but WPT’s
Invitational tournament is by far and away the most exciting event of the
year,” said John Griffo, Director of Poker Operations,
Commerce Casino. “What’s great
about the Invitational is you see them all come together for one night where
they aren’t just playing for cash, but for charity,
respect, and overall — fun.”
The last 10 celebrities in play will receive a cash donation to the charity
of their choice, courtesy of event sponsor Harbor Private Funds, LLC. WPT
Ladies charity partner Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Harbor Private
Funds’ Harbor Foundation, and Crocs, Inc.’s Soles United, will each receive a $2,500 donation from WPT.
The event, produced in part by GBK Productions, begins with red carpet arrivals at
5:00 p.m. on March 1 followed by a cocktail party sponsored by Heineken — the official beer of the WPT Invitational — V2 Energy Vodka and Who’s Your
Daddy. DJ Casey, one of the top female DJ’s in the US,
will command the turn tables while guests have the opportunity to polish their
Texas Hold ‘Em poker skills with lessons from WPT Boot
Camp instructors. Representatives from WPT China will also offer instruction on
Tuo La Ji, or Traktor Poker, the official card game of China.
“We’re very excited about
the prominent international partners coming on board to elevate the overall
event experience while allowing us to increase the impact for important
charitable causes,” said Rose Odeh, WPT Chief Marketing
Officer. “Texas Hold ‘Em is a
worldwide phenomenon that many celebrities love to play, which makes the
Invitational the perfect opportunity to bring together entertainment and
philanthropy in a fun, yet competitive environment where everyone walks away a
winner — and one person walks away with a World Poker
Tour title.”
Players who make it through the night with chips remaining will resume play
March 2. The tournament culminates in a battle on the WPT set where the final
six players will fight for a portion of the $225,000 prize pool put up by
Commerce Casino. The first place finisher will win $100,000 and a $25,000 seat
in the WPT World Championship in April. WPT cameras will capture all the action
for broadcast on WPT’s new network home, GSN, which
will air July 21, 2008 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
About WPTE
WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq:WPTE) is a company engaged in the creation of
internationally branded entertainment and consumer products driven by the
development, production, and marketing of televised programming based on gaming
themes. WPTE is the creator of the World Poker Tour®, a
television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments that airs on
the Travel Channel in the United States and is scheduled to begin broadcasting
on GSN in early 2008. WPT is licensed for broadcast globally. WPTE also offers a
real-money online gaming website, www.worldpokertour.com, which prohibits wagers from
players in the U.S. and other restricted jurisdictions. WPTE currently licenses
its brand to companies in the business of poker equipment and instruction,
apparel, publishing, electronic and wireless entertainment, DVD/home
entertainment, casino games, and giftware. The company is also engaged in the
sale of corporate sponsorships. For show information, tools for improving poker
play, and other WPT news, fans may log on to www.worldpokertour.com. WPT Enterprises, Inc. is a majority owned
subsidiary of Lakes Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: LACO).
About Commerce Casino
Commerce Casino is the largest poker casino in the world. There are more than
200 poker tables featuring just about every form of poker: Texas Hold ‘em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha, Lowball, Pot Limit, Mexican Poker,
Pineapple, Draw, Low-Ball and many others. Also offered are Pan and California
games. Commerce Casino is also recognized for its innovative “Bring Your Home Game to Commerce”
program which enables poker fans to invite their friends and family for a casual
home game, bachelor party or birthday celebration with a professional dealer in
the casino setting.
Commerce Casino is located at 6131 East Telegraph Rd., Commerce, CA 90040,
just off the Santa Ana (5) Freeway at the Washington Blvd. exit. The phone is
(323) 721-2100. For more information, go to www.commercecasino.com.
