PokerWorks

It is almost that time of year again. The Kentucky Derby is scheduled for May 2, which means the very successful Kentucky Derby Poker Championship is right around the corner and ready for an even better second year. The charity poker tournament is set for April 30 at the Horseshoe Casino Southern Indiana, not far from Churchill Downs and only two days before the exciting horseracing event.

The second annual All In for Climate Change Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament will take place on Thursday, April 30 at noon, with last year’s hosts Phil Hellmuth and Robert Williamson III being joined by actor and poker enthusiast Mekhi Phifer. The tournament will require a $550 buy-in, for which players will receive 5,000 chips to play the 30-minute-level event. The winner will receive the prize money as well as two tickets to the 2009 Kentucky Derby and an entry to the all-star cash game premium table, worth $1,000.

The all-star cash games will begin at 10pm that night and will be hosted by Hellmuth, Williamson, Phifer, Layne Flack, and Beth Shak. At least one of those pros will be at each table, and the buy-ins for the cash games will range from $200 to $1,000.

Hellmuth commented, “It’s always exciting to be in Kentucky for the Kentucky Derby. I feel especially happy to host an event that is sure to be fun and in the spirit of the weekend, as well as contribute to such important causes.”

The inaugural 2008 event raised more than $60,000 for three charities, the same organizations that will benefit from the 2009 Kentucky Derby Poker Championship’s proceeds: The Health and Climate Foundation, International Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre, and Robby Albarado Foundation.

The Health and Climate Foundation is an organization dedicated to raising awareness of the connections between health, climate, and other environmental factors that affect the well-being of the earth’s population. The goal is to find and implement ways to combat disease and poverty through coordination between individuals and the scientific and educational communities.

The Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre is a proactive organization with a global presence that helps reduce the loss of life and damage done to people by extreme weather events and the results of climate change. The hope is to raise awareness of the negative aspects of climate change and subsequently promote the nurturing of the environment to prevent a negative effect on more people in the future.

The Robby Albarado Foundation is intricately linked to the Kentucky Derby, as longtime horseracing jockey Robby Albarado established the organization to help people who have been victims of their environment. His focus is on the Louisville, Kentucky area, where underprivileged, homeless, and socially and economically disadvantaged people require assistance in recovering from disastrous events.

All three organizations will benefit from the proceeds of the tournament, and event organizers expect a high turnout for the day’s festivities. Early registration is encouraged at the Horseshoe Casino Southern Indiana, in person, by phone at (800) 660-9744, or through the internet at www.KentuckyDerbyPokerChampionship.org .