PokerStars announces first annual All-Star Showdown

LONDON -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- PokerStars.eu today announced the first annual All-Star Showdown, bringing together eight of poker’s biggest stars battling it out to earn bragging rights as the best heads-up No-Limit Hold’em player in the world.

From October 27 until November 4, eight players will put $100,000 on the line to play in an eight-player, heads-up single elimination tournament. The winner will pocket more than $500,000 and the first All-Star Showdown trophy.

Recent PokerStars Team Online signing Isaac Haxton said, “I’m excited to start my tenure with Team PokerStars with the chance to win a big title and a lot of money in my favorite form of poker. There are no titles or champions in heads-up cash games, just winners and losers. This tournament will change that by crowning the first All-Star Showdown champion.”

All-Star Showdown Format

· Prior to the first match, tournament seeding will be determined by a random draw. After the initial draw players will progress through a single-elimination tournament.

· The matches will take place at 18:00 CET from October 27 - November 4, with a break in play on October 29 and November 1. The final will be on November 4.

· Matches will be played simultaneously over four heads-up tables.

· Each $100,000 buy-in is spread evenly over four tables with blinds starting at $50/100.

· Blinds will double after every 3,000 hands played.

· The match ends when a player busts on all four tables.

All-Star Showdown Registration

Players who wish to participate in the challenge should e-mail highstakes@pokerstars.com for more information on how to enter. A full list of registered players will be published online before the tournament begins.

Players currently registered for the All-Star Showdown include Isaac "Ike Haxton" Haxton, Alexander "Kanu7" Millar, Alexander "Sussie Smith" Roumeliotis, Benjamin "Sauce123" Sulsky, Phil "mrSweets28" Galfond and "KTPOKP."