The Poker Central Shootout Gives $85K to Charities
The Poker Central Shootout will give $85,000 to charity after hosting two phases of action at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, reported PokerUpdate.
The action will be broadcast on television later this month but was streamed live on Twitch Dec. 3 with broadcasters Ali Nejad and Mario Ho.
The first part of the tournament pitted celebrities and the Zynga qualifier against each other in a six-handed Sit & Go to advance to a heads-up match between the professional poker players. The top three in the first part split $45,000; the winners of the heads-up matches receive $10,000 for their charity.
Chuck Liddell, the former UFC Heavyweight champion, Tony Hawk, a professional skateboarder, and actors Jennie Garth (90210), Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf) and Jackie Cruz (Orange is the New Black) were the celebrities in the event.
Jennifer Maddox was the Zynga qualifier and Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu and Maria Ho were the professional poker players.
First Round Results
| Place | Name | Charity | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Posey | Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | $20,000 |
| 2 | Tony Hawk | Tony Hawk Foundation | $15,000 |
| 3 | Chuck Liddell | St. Jude Foundation | $10,000 |
In the heads-up matches, Posey took on Hellmuth; Hawk played Ho; and Negreanu faced Liddell. While all the other poker players easily took their wins (Ho with $10,000 to the Malala Fund and Negreanu with $10 for the St. Jude Foundation), Hellmuth took a chip lead to lose it when Posey got a couple of lucky hands and some coaching from Hellmuth.
According to PokerUpdate, Posey flopped trip tens and Hellmuth was all in with a pair of fours in the final hand. He blanked on the turn and Posey took the win, earning $40,000 for his charity, which were dedicated to his mother and aunt both of whom had died from breast cancer, he told Ho afterward.
Lead image courtesy of Phil Hellmuth Twitter
