by Hillary LaClair, Senior Editor
April 20, 2009
Newly signed PokerStars professional online poker player, Jason Alexander, will host a Texas Hold’em poker tournament on May 9th to benefit charity at the Hollywood Park Casino. Alexander, known to almost everybody as George Costanza on the hit television series Seinfeld, will be joined by celebrities and Dianna Donofrio-Trigatzi (Celebrity Guest Tournament Director and Nevada State Director of the Poker Players Alliance), and Special Honoree, Leyna Nguyen (KCBS/KCAL Anchor), and poker stars such as Greg Raymer, Jamie Gold, and Chip Jett.
Alexander will be the host of the 3rd Annual 1736 Family Crisis Center's Poker Tournament. The festivities start at 2:00 pm. A press release announcing the event notes that it presents a unique opportunity “for a fun-filled day of poker, laughter, food and celebration and the success over domestic violence. Each hand played will be a strong step towards ending domestic violence and helping youth who have been abused and abandoned.”
Alexander has played in the World Series of Poker Main Event for the last two years and played for the United Way of the greater New Orleans area where he won the final table in the 8th season of Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown and $500,000 for the charity. He is credited as the national spokesperson for the Scleroderma Foundation. Alexander won tenth place in the Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament held during the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
Since 1972, 1736 Family Crisis Center has worked to “protect and empower our community's most distressed individuals and families” such as runaway teens and domestic violence victims and others who need help overcoming depression, anxiety, family troubles, and other traumas. 1736 Family Crisis Center was founded as a single shelter for street youth. Today, those in need can draw on a “widely acclaimed continuum of assistance” offered at five shelters and four community service centers throughout Los Angeles.
Poker players can purchase tickets through the 1736 Family Crisis Center’s website or by calling 310-543-9900, Extension 210. Those who wish to donate but not to play may send buy-in fees directly to the facility. Other opportunities available include an All-In Sponsor for $25,000, a Royal Flush sponsor for $10,000, a Straight Flush sponsor for $5,000, and a Table Sponsor for $3,000. Program advertising ranges from $100 for a quarter page ad to $500 for a full page spread
The event will proceed as follows:
1:00pm Check-In
2:00pm Tournament Begins
$250.00 Buy-In - includes Lunch Reception, Pre-Game Instructional Play, Celebrity Players, Silent and Live Auction. Multiple Re-Buys Available at $100.00
PokerStars signed Alexander last month after his noticeable appearance in the World Series of Poker. PokerStars is the most widely-played online poker room in the industry and welcomes U.S. wagers. According to PokerScout.com, a poker room tracking website, PokerStars hosts 24,733 cash players, more than double its leading competitor, Full Tilt Poker. 34,922 cash players participate in peak hours and the seven day running average of cash players is 22,600.
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