With the NBA rolling into town for its annual All Star game, you just knew there would be plenty of poker action.
Trent Tucker was again one of the first to get involved, having already ran a successful charity poker event earlier in the year, in which Michael Jordan won.
This time around Hard Rock Casino was the location and a slew of basketball stars signed up to compete in the $10,000 buy-in Trent Tucker Hoopology pokerfest. The event attracted nearly 90 participants, created an estimated $900,000 prize pool benefiting the Trent Tucker Youth Program.
The contest carries forward a trend for celebrities to be involved in high profile poker tournaments to attract media attention.
With names like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, BJ Armstrong, and a slew of former NBA greats, including the host Trent Tucker himself, the event should attracted all the attention required as well as providing some great entertainment.
Many top poker players were involved, too including Patrik Antonius, Liz Lieu, Marcel Luske, Hoyt Corkins, Robert Williamson III, Gus Hansen, the 2006 Card Player Player of the Year, Michael Mizrachi as well as Industry VIPs including Bellagio’s poker room director Doug Dalton, Card Player Cruises’ Linda Johnson, and the World Poker Tour’s own Mike Sexton.
They played late into the night for the first-place prize of a one-year exclusive pass to the VIP Sterling Club and Spa. After a series of all-ins, Robert Williamson III, came out victorious.
Proceeds from the event will accrue to the Trent Tucker Non Profit Organisation.
Shane @ CarbonPoker.com
