Rate it!

1 votes

Barack Obama was not the only winner at this week's Democratic National Convention as actor Ben Affleck won the "Poker at the Ballpark" charity poker tournament.

The 100 player event in Denver, which also featured the likes of Sarah Silverman, Richard Dreyfuss and Montel Williams plus poker pros Andy Bloch and Barry Greenstein, raised over $60,000 for the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Affleck has been an avid poker enthusiast for some time and in 2004, he won a World Poker Tour $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'Em tournament

The Poker Players Alliance are repeating the dose with another tournament at the Republican National Convention in Minnesota.

* * *

The Prague Post reports that the Czech association of poker clubs are pushing the finance ministry to recognise poker as an official sport.

Association officials estimate that 60,000 Czechs play poker with the game having surged in local popularity over the past two years.

"Ministry officials don't understand that poker, in all its complexity, is not gambling as much as a skill game in which good players win and bad players lose," said Karel Kruska, whose association organises regional and national tournaments.

"Young people see poker as a form of entertainment and even a lifestyle," Kruska added.

The association hope that officially reclassifying the game as a sport will provide many benefits for both new and seasoned players and increase the player base in the Czech Republic which is currently mainly men between the ages of 18 and 30.

* * *

The Excalibur has become the first casino in Las Vegas to make the switch to fully automated tables with the incorporation of a dozen electronic tables in the poker room.

Instead of the standard 50 employees in the Excalibur poker room, it will now be staffed with 18 full-and part-time personnel.

Excalibur vice president Todd DeRemer told Casino City Times: "We think there is a segment of people out there who like to play online poker, but would like the option of playing with real stakes and have human interaction."

The move to automated tables also adds an element of speed to the Excalibur room that no facility with live dealers can match.

Atlantic City already has an automated room in the newly opened Trump Plaza Casino.

* * *

Forthcoming Major Tournaments:

September 7 - UK Tour: Season 2 Event 7 in Bolton

September 9 - Asia Pacific Tour: Season 2 Event 1 in Macau

September 14 - European Tour: Season 5 Event 1 in Barcelona

September 18 - World Poker Tour: Season 7 Event 3 in Atlantic City (Borgata Open)

September 21 - World Series of Poker Europe: Season 2 Event 1 in London

September 24 - World Series of Poker Europe: Season 2 Event 2 in London

September 26 - World Series of Poker Europe: Season 2 Event 3 in London

September 28 - Asia Pacific Tour: Season 2 Event 2 in Seoul

October 1 - World Series of Poker Europe: Season 2 Event 4 in London

October 5 - European Tour: Season 5 Event 2 in London

October 12 - Asia Pacific Tour: Season 2 Event 3 in Auckland

October 16 - World Poker Tour: Season 7 Event 4 in Niagara Falls (North American Championship)

October 19 - UK Tour: Season 2 Event 8 in Thanet

October 25 - World Poker Tour: Season 7 Event 5 in Las Vegas (Festa Al Lago)

November 1 - European Tour: Season 5 Event 3 in Budapest

November 10 - World Series of Poker: Main Event

November 11 - World Poker Tour: Season 7 Event 6 in Mashantucket (Foxwoods World Finals)

November 16 - Asia Pacific Tour: Season 2 Event 4 in Manila

November 16 - UK Tour: Season 2 Event 9 in Blackpool

November 19 - European Tour: Season 5 Event 4 in Warsaw

November 30 - UK Tour: Season 2 Grand Final in London

December 5 - UK Tour: Season 2 Champion of Champions

December 7 - Asia Pacific Tour: Season 2 Event 5 in Sydney

December 13 - European Tour: Season 5 Event 5 in Prague

December 19 - World Poker Tour: Season 7 Event 7 in Las Vegas (Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Classic)

Angus MacKenzie / Eurosport