PokerWorks

The cause couldn’t be more appropriate or justified, and the lineup of attendees couldn’t be better. The second annual “Operation All In” poker tournament and charity auction is set and ready to go at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas on August 22, and all proceeds will go to the Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation to benefit injured soldiers.

The event will be hosted by Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) star Randy “The Natural” Couture and features some of the biggest names in MMA, such as Dan Henderson, Stephan Bonnar, Frank Trigg, and Phil Baroni. Also in attendance will be numerous poker pros, like Chip and Karina Jett, Lee Watkinson, David Williams, Todd Brunson, Robert Williamson III, and Adam Schoenfeld. More are expected to join the festivities as the day approaches.

The day will start in the early afternoon with a silent auction that will last throughout the day, and there will be poker and MMA memorabilia for the bidding, all having been donated so that all profits go to the charity. One of the offerings will be dinner with Couture along with a one-hour personal MMA lesson.

Next up on the agenda will be the poker tournament. For a $330 buy-in, the no-limit hold’em event will have $100 rebuys available during the first few levels. Various prizes have been donated for the finalists, but the grand prize is a $10,000 seat into the Sports Legends Challenge poker tournament that will take place in mid-September in the Bahamas. The Atlantis Paradise Island event will feature some of the biggest names in sports - Sugar Ray Leonard, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Joe Namath, and Reggie Jackson to name a few - along with 25 of the most recognizable poker pros in the game.

Couture noted, “We’re thrilled to welcome everyone back for our second annual charity event. It’s sure to be an amazing time, while raising awareness and a lot of money for an unbelievable cause. Having spent time in a uniform it became a personal goal of mine to find a way to give back to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces for the sacrifices they make defending our freedoms. The Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation was born out of that desire. We hope you’ll come join us for a great night and rub elbows with some of the best fighters and poker players on the planet all in the name of our troops!”

The foundation founded by Couture receives referrals from the Military Severely Injured Center for soldiers and their families who are dealing with financial difficulties. The Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation provides assistance, as well as arranging motivational sessions between Couture and the soldiers to help them make the transition back to civilian life, as Couture has experience serving in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division.

The festivities throughout the afternoon will take place at The Grand events center at the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas, and an after-party will be held for all participants at the Gold Diggers nightclub at 4pm. Seats are limited, but reservations can be made through the Golden Nugget Poker Room or contacting XtremeCoutureGIFoundation.org.