PokerStars Launches Let California Play! PokerStars Pro Tour
Last month, PokerStars, together with two Indian tribes and three Los Angeles card rooms, launched a new website, californians4ipoker.com, to promote open and fair regulation of online poker in California. Now, the world's largest poker site has announced a new initiative in the Bear State, the Let California Play! PokerStars Pro Tour.
This summer, PokerStars will join forces with numerous California cardrooms to host a series of live tournaments created to raise awareness for iPoker and support for legislation. The Let California Play! PokerStars Pro Tour will see members of Team PokerStars Pro – including Daniel Negreanu, Chris Moneymaker, Vanessa Selbst, Jason Somerville and Liv Boeree — play against local poker players to show that if online poker is authorized and regulated in California, both consumers and land based casinos, like cardrooms, will benefit.
“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 Negreanu, who is one of the most recognized poker players in the world.
The Let California Play! PokerStars Pro Tour will begin on July 17 and will continue through the summer
“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!”
Here's a look at the current 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, Aug 2 | Stones Gambling Hall, Citrus Heights |
| Thursday, Aug 6 | The Aviator Casino, Delano |
| Friday, Aug 7 | Diamond Jim's Casino, Rosamond |
| Sunday, Aug 9 | Turlock Poker Room, Turlock |
Additional tour dates will be announced in coming weeks.
“We are thrilled to be the first stop of the PokerStars Pro Tour,” said Nick Salem, General Manager of the Palomar Card Club in San Diego. “We anticipate a packed cardroom and we’ve heard from our players who are excited to test their skills against Jason Somerville and Liv Boeree. Long term we want to see online poker authorized in California to raise the profile of poker and build a new generation of poker players that will help land based poker rooms thrive.”
Multiple studies have shown that online poker increases interest in poker in general, which in turn increases business at cardrooms and brick and mortar casinos. That, along with the fact consumers will benefit by having a heavily regulated online poker marketplace in which to safely play the game they love with strong consumer protection and strict regulations in place, is a message PokerStars hopes to spread.
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