Stars turn out for PCA amfAR tournament

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- A host of stars from the world of entertainment and sport turned up to support the AIDS research charity amfAR at a special poker tournament organized in the Bahamas by PokerStars.net, the world's largest poker room.

Among the celebrities taking part were R&B singer Kelly Rowland, the former Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Slash, hip-hop star Nelly, 2008 Playboy Playmate Jayde Nicole, supermodel Joanna Krupa and US talk show host Montel Williams. With half the tournament prize pool going direct to amfAR and many players also making extra donations, the event raised well over $150,000 for charity.

Entrants in the $5k buy-in tournament also included tennis legend Boris Becker, former England footballer Teddy Sheringham, Spanish football legend Poli Rincon, Estonian NBA star Martin Muursepp as well as this year's poker world champion Joe Cada and 11 other members of Team PokerStars Pro.

The winner was British oil rigger Spencer Benjafield, 24, one of five entrants who won their trip to the Bahamas via online tournaments on PokerStars. He triumphed after beating eight players in the final: Carlos Bernard - Tony Almeida in TV hit "24", US talk show host Montel Williams, NHL Olympic medalist Mats Sundin and Dutch hockey pro Fatima Moreira de Melo. As well as Team PokerStars Pros Luis Medina, Leo Fernandez and Alex Gomes.

Benjafield, who gave a sizeable portion of his $37,500 prize to amfAR, said: "I just can't believe it. I never thought I would win. It's been great meeting and playing with the celebrities and the pros. It will take some time to sink in."

Fashion designer Kenneth Cole, chairman of AmfAR, said: "We are very grateful to PokerStars for teaming up with us. Thirty-three million people are living with AIDS; zero have been cured. But we believe we will find a cure and every little bit helps. Just a few thousand dollars puts a therapist on the ground who can treat thousands of people."'

Team PokerStars Pro Alex Gomes, who came second, said: "Events like this are great opportunity for us professional players to help people who really need it. Also it's a very different kind of tournament when you're playing against celebrities and amateurs. It was a lot of fun."

The amfAR event took place during the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), a series of major poker tournaments running January 4-14 at the Atlantis Resort and Casino in the Bahamas. More than 50 tournaments are scheduled over ten days offering millions of dollars in prize money. More than 1,529 people from all over the world entered the $10k main event making it the largest poker tournament ever held outside of Las Vegas. Founded in 1985, amfAR is dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research. With the freedom and flexibility to respond quickly to emerging areas of scientific promise, amfAR plays a catalytic role in accelerating the pace of HIV/AIDS research and achieving real breakthroughs. amfAR-funded research has increased our understanding of HIV and has helped lay the groundwork for major advances in the study and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Since 1985, amfAR has invested nearly $290 million in its mission and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.

The event was filmed for television broadcast and also aired in a live web broadcast on PokerStars.tv.