After a highly successful inaugural event last year, Phil Hellmuth and Robert Williamson III will once again join forces in Kentucky for a charity poker tournament in May.
Last year, the first ever Derby Poker Championship was held two days prior to the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby. Hellmuth and Williamson, along with fellow co-host and former Louisville basketball coach Denny Crum, hosted an evening of poker that drew several top players, athletes, and celebrities.
“The chances of playing football with Peyton Manning, or basketball with Michael Jordan, are pretty slim,” Derby Poker Championship event producer G. Douglas Dreisbach commented. “However, at the Derby Poker Championship, you might find yourself playing cards with some of the best poker players in the world as well as some big time celebrities.”
As with the inaugural tournament, this year’s Derby Poker Championship will be held on May 5th at the Louisville Palace Theater, the Thursday before the annual “Run for the Roses.” The tournament this year will benefit two charitable causes, Blessings in a Backpack and the Health and Climate Foundation.
Blessings in a Backpack is a Louisville-based charity that assists Kentucky residents, U.S. citizens, and those around the world through food programs. According to information from its website, Blessings in a Backpack delivers over 100 tons of food per month to Kentucky residents alone and maintains food programs across the country. Blessings in a Backpack also assists low income children who are on school lunch programs by giving them food during the weekends.
The Health and Climate Foundation is an international organization dedicated to educating people about health, climate, and other environmental factors and their effects on the worldwide community. The organization also combats climate-sensitive diseases with its work and is active throughout the global community.
The festivities for the 2011 Derby Poker Championship will begin with a red carpet walk at the Louisville Palace Theater beginning at 6:00pm. The tournament is expected to begin at 7:00pm and last into the evening. Ticket prices range from $75 to $225 and the buy-in for the No Limit Texas Hold’em tournament is $500 +$50 with $200 rebuys and add-ons for the first hour of play. For those who are eliminated from the event, an after party will be held beginning at approximately 11:00pm.
The 2010 charity event drew luminaries from across all spectrums of the celebrity world. In addition to Hellmuth and Williamson, poker pros such as Beth Shak, Full Tilt Poker’s Chris Ferguson, and UB.com’s Tiffany Michelle were in attendance.
The sporting world was represented by several former National Football League greats including Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon and legendary Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung. Also in the house were jockeys Robby Albarado and Corey Lanerie and professional golfer and former U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin.
Comedian Ron White headed a list of celebrities that included actors Jesse Spencer of “House,” Oscar Nunez of “The Office,” and best-selling author Nora Roberts.
The 2010 event was highly successful, raising almost $50,000 for charity. The tournament awarded its champion a seat at the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event. Everyone at the final table earned a cash prize and Hellmuth and Shak, who finished in the money, donated their winnings back to charity.
