CelebPoker Classic 2005

CelebPoker.com

CelebPoker.com is the world’s first celebrity interactive poker site. The brainchild of CEO David Donovan, its innovative online system allows players to not only play the hottest game on the planet, Texas Hold ‘Em poker, but also to interact with various celebrities also playing online and challenge them to a game.

Celebrities currently include actors Lou “Diamond” Phillips and Joaquim De Almeida, snooker players Mark Williams, Ken Doherty and Jimmy White, footballers Paul Ince, Matthew Etherington, Simon Davies and Kenny Miller and the world’s biggest gambler Nick “Rogue Trader” Leeson.

All levels of ability are catered for, with tables from 50 cents to $500 for the high rollers. However, even before players need real cash they are actively encouraged to learn the game via poker classes and free tables. When ready, they can continue at their own pace to multi-table tournament play and “freerolls” – where people play for real cash and where CelebPoker.com provides the prizes. When new players are confident to play for real money, CelebPoker even gives them a deposit bonus to help them on their way.

Players can also qualify via satellites for every major tournament in the world, including the World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker events.

“This year’s WSOP will be the biggest tournament in the history of poker with over 6000 players expected to register for the main event,” David Donovan confirms.  “Someone will walk away with the first prize of $10,000,000, and if last year’s event is anything to go by, this could well be an online qualifier.”

In addition to online activity, CelebPoker also hosts live celebrity-based tournaments up and down the country. This gives the online players the opportunity to participate in big cash games; typically the entry fee (buy-in) is £1000. To enable CelebPoker.com members to play in these games we provide online “satellites” that start for as little as $5. Thus, players have the opportunity to go through a series of ladder tournaments and ultimately win a seat at the live event and rub shoulders with celebrities at some of the most glamorous casino venues in the country.  All CelebPoker tournaments are televised and give everybody the 15 minutes of fame that we all crave. Anyone who is interested in forthcoming tournaments can register their interest via the website on the “Live Poker” tab. This enables invitations to be sent out upon tournament announcement.

IRISH WIN AT THE £125,000 PALM BEACH CELEBPOKER.COM CLASSIC

Alan Smurfit, celebrity Irish businessman, won the Palm Beach CelebPoker Classic No Limit Hold'em Tournament on Sunday 31st July at the Palm Beach Casino in London's Mayfair.Smurfit, who sold his Dublin-based packaging company for €3.9-billion two years ago, has renounced retirement in favour of playing the international poker circuit - with spectacular success; he claimed victory over roofing contractor David Clark in an exciting heads-up climax. The pair had outplayed a strong field of 125 experts and online qualifiers, including snooker celebrities Jimmy White, Mark Williams and Ken Doherty, actors Michael Greco and Terence Maynard, PGA golf pro Sam Torrance and a host of poker professionals. Smurfit's first prize was £51,700, presented by www.CelebPoker.com. Clark's second prize was £25,800 and the third prize of £14,000 went to Charalambos Xanthos, better known in the poker world as Bambos

By the time this article is published, CelebActive, the gaming portal for CelebPoker.com, will have launched its latest innovation: CelebCallers.com. This will be the world’s first celebrity interactive bingo site; celebrities will be the callers and via a chat forum will be able to talk to a growing army of online bingo players.

Imagine being able to ask Nick Leeson about how he feels about the collapse of Barings, or asking Lou ”Diamond” Phillips about his new poker film Dead Money or Joaquim De Almeida about 24, the biggest TV series ever to hit our screens – all this is possible with CelebPoker.com.

CelebPoker.com is also developing several TV series to be aired on satellite channels. The content, which will be celebrity based, will also afford the opportunity for viewers to interact from home and play along, and, as a prize, appear on the next show.

As to the future, David Donovan, CEO of CelebPoker.com says “It is the stated intention to grow CelebPoker into one of the top 5 online gaming portals by leveraging everything to do with the celebrities that we have endorsing our unique brand. We are actively looking for further poker-loving celebrities, both men and women; to get involved with us, please feel free to contact me at dave@celebpoker.com.”