PokerStars Giving Fans Chance to Play Neymar Jr; Three Stops Added to California Play!
PokerStars is giving fans a chance to play with Neymar Jr, who if you recall made a surprise appearance at the 2015 World Series of Poker. Fans now have a chance to participate in a series of free online tournaments to qualify for the Neymar Jr Charity Home Game, a star-studded, live charity poker tournament to benefit the Neymar Jr Institute.
The USD $1,000 buy-in charity event, which will bring together Neymar Jr, friends, celebrities and poker players, will take place on July 26 during the Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP) in São Paulo and will be streamed online at PokerStars.tv at 16:00 Brasília time. Participants will have a chance at great prizes including entry to the BSOP Millions, Neymar Jr signed memorabilia, PokerStars donated prizes, and much more.
While only one will have the chance to play with Neymar Jr, everyone can get involved and interact with the tournament using the hashtag #HomeGameNJR.
"PokerStars is delighted to be supporting this event and the work of Neymar Jr’s Institute," said Sue Hammett, Head of Corporate Giving for PokerStars. "It aligns with the key themes of our corporate giving program ‘Helping Hands’ using sport to transform and enrich people's lives. This continues our long tradition of working with charities around the world."
According to a press release, the Neymar Jr Institute was established in 2014 and aims to help thousands of underprivileged children and their families from São Paulo by providing sports and school activities to develop skills that have an effective impact on their quality of life, helping to overcome social problems such as violence and crime.
Let California Play! Adds Three More Card Rooms to Pro Tour
The Let California Play! PokerStars Pro Tour, which kicked off last week in San Diego at Palomar Card Club, aims to generate awareness for iPoker. To do this, cardrooms across California have joined forces with PokerStars to host various events where PokerStars Team Pros will meet with fans, play in poker tournaments and games as part of a campaign to create awareness and support for legislation to authorize and regulate online poker in California.
The tour began with eight stops, but three more have been added to the schedule:
- Sunday, July 26 at Lucky Chances Casino in Colma featuring PokerStars Team Pros Chris Moneymaker & Jason Somerville
- Saturday, August 1 at 500 Club in Clovis featuring PokerStars Team Pro Jason Somerville
- Saturday, August 8 at Club One Casino in Fresno featuring PokerStars Team Pros Daniel Negreanu & Vanessa Selbst
"We’re pleased to be part of the Let California Play! PokerStars Pro Tour," said Kyle Kirkland, Owner and President of Club One Casino in Fresno. "The PokerStars roster includes some of the biggest names in poker and our players are looking forward to seeing and playing with them onsite. As an operator, we really appreciate PokerStars efforts to raise awareness for online poker in California. Legalized online poker will introduce new players to the game, add legitimacy to the market and provide unique cross-promotional activities for cardrooms and the communities we support."
As PokerStars states, millions of people in California play poker in their homes, in cardrooms and in licensed casinos, but are unable to play online in a regulated environment. It's something they hope to change.
"It’s really important for poker players to make their voices heard among the decision makers in California and tell them Let California Play!," said PokerStars Team Pro member Daniel Negreanu.
Here's a look at the entire Let California Play! PokerStars Pro Tour schedule:
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| Friday July 17 | Palomar Card Club, San Diego |
| Saturday July 18 | Lake Elsinore Casino, Lake Elsinore |
| Sunday, July 19 | Seven Mile Casino, Chula Vista |
| Saturday, July 25 | Napa Valley Casino, American Canyon |
| Sunday, July 26 | Lucky Chance Casino, Colma |
| Saturday, Aug 1 | 500 Club, Clovis |
| Sunday, Aug 2 | Stones Gambling Hall, Citrus Heights |
| Thursday, Aug 6 | The Aviator Casino, Delano |
| Friday, Aug 7 | Diamond Jim's Casino, Rosamond |
| Saturday, Aug 8 | Club One Casino, Fresno |
| Sunday, Aug 9 | Turlock Poker Room, Turlock |
Online poker is currently only legal in three states – Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey – but the debate has been raging in California for years. While movement has stagnated as of late, proponents are hopeful California will be one of the next dominoes to fall.
"Poker players can play an important role in shaping the debate around iPoker in California so we’re looking to spark conversations in poker rooms up and down the state," said Eric Hollreiser, Head of Corporate Communications for Amaya Inc. and PokerStars. "We have a simple message: Let California Play!"
For more information, check out the Californians for Responsible iPoker website.
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