PokerWorks

It has become one of the most anticipated and lucrative charity events hosted by anyone in the poker industry. The Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament is held each year to benefit a cause close to her heart - the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) - and it has raised an impressive amount of money for the organization thus far. The inaugural tournament in 2007 brought in $130,000, and the 2008 event raised $325,000 more. As the 2009 prepares to get underway, it can be expected that the biggest names in poker will be there to help raise hundreds of thousands more for the NSPCA.

As in past years, the Venetian Poker Room will host the April 17th event, which will feature a no-limit hold’em poker tournament starting at 5pm, alongside a silent auction featuring autographed sports and poker memorabilia. There is a $300 + $30 buy-in for players with rebuys available for the first hour at $100 a piece and a $100 add-on at the end of that period. All players entering will receive a gift bag courtesy of the NSPCA.

With Matt Savage as the tournament director and Jennifer Harman as the host, the tournament will offer numerous prizes for its finalists, including a Curtis & Co. watch, Life’s a Bluff original framed poker art, and a first place prize of a seat into the 2009 World Series of Poker main event worth $10,000. And throughout the tournament, random seat prizes will be given to some of the players. Registration begins on April 16 at noon and is open to the public.

All proceeds will be donated to the Nevada SPCA, which is a no-kill animal sanctuary in Las Vegas that provides a loving home for animals saved from euthanasia. They are cared for and protected in an open, cage-free environment until they are adopted by loving homes.

Harman has been involved with the non-profit NSPCA for years, as an animal lover and philanthropist. Having adopted numerous animals herself, she knows what they can bring to a family and what it means for the animals to be loved and protected until they are adopted. In past tournaments, some of the NSPCA animals have been brought to the Venetian for adoption prior to the tournament, and Harman’s hands-on adoration for the pets makes it obvious how important this charity is to her.

The third annual Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament hopes to save more lives and raise more awareness, and her friends in the poker industry will likely be there to support the cause. In the past, names like Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, and Phil Hellmuth are just a few of the players who have turned out to assist and play in the tournament. The 2009 event awaits anyone who would like to contribute and compete on April 17.

For more information about pet adoptions or ways to donate or volunteer, contact www.NevadaSPCA.org.