PokerStars NAPT hosting charity event in Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- PokerStars.net, the world's largest online poker site, will be holding a special star-studded Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament to open the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) event series at The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino. The event is aimed at raising money within the poker community for Three Square, a local Las Vegas non-profit charity that provides nutritious food to more than 270 other not-for-profit and faith-based organizations in an effort to end hunger in Southern Nevada.

The event will take place on February 19, 2010, one day before the PokerStars.net NAPT Venetian Main Event. A field of celebrities and poker pros including Team PokerStars.net Pros Daniel Negreanu, Joe Cada and Vanessa Rousso will compete in the $500 Buy-In No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament held in The Venetian Poker Room. Celebrities expected to participate in the event include Tony Hawk, Christian Slater, Brad Garrett, Jason Alexander Joanna Krupa, Orel Hershiser, Montel Williams, Slash, Donnie Wahlberg, Marlon Wayans, AJ Buckley and Ryan Hunter Reay.

"We are pleased to be a part of such a prestigious event," said Julie A. Murray, President & CEO of the Three Square Food Bank. "Hunger is a large and growing issue in our valley. It is with the help of dedicated organizations like PokerStars.net and the support of charity-minded celebrities that we can make significant advances in our battle against hunger in Southern Nevada."

The winner of the tournament will be awarded a special prize package to the NAPT flagship PokerStars.net Caribbean Adventure event in the Bahamas in 2011. Second place will win a prize package to the NAPT Mohegan Sun event in April and third place will win a NAPT Venetian Main Event entry worth $5000."

During the 2010 PokerStars.net Caribbean Adventure, held in the Bahamas this past January, PokerStars.net raised nearly $300,000 in its celebrity charity poker tournament for amfAR, The Foundation of AIDS Research.