 May 23, 2008 (Manila, Philippines) – The Asian Poker Tour (APT) will be holding a celebrity charity invitational poker tournament this coming May 27, the first day of the Philippine leg of the 2008 Tour. A prize pool of PHP 400,000 will be awarded to charities of the top finishers.
Dubbed the Ray-Ban APT Celebrity Poker Challenge, the tournament will feature several of Philippines’ top celebrities and marquee names – with the winner walking away with PHP 150,000 to be donated to the charity of his or her choice. The event will be a No Limit Hold’em Freeze Out poker tournament and will be covered by Solar Sports.
While the final list of official players is still being rounded up, the roster includes the biggest names from the entertainment, fashion and sports. Already confirmed to play for their respective charities are DJ and TV host Mo Twister, fashion designer Rajo Laurel, sports show host Jinno Rufino, Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) stars Mike Cortez and Asi Taulava, and commercial model Brad Turvey.
Actress Angelu de Leon is also making an appearance at the celebrity poker event alongside racing sensation Mark Bumgarner, as well as the Philippines’ local David Copperfield – Erik Mana who’ll be hoping to work his magic with the cards to be dealt his way. Joining them is APT’s very own Chris Parker. The champion of the 2nd Philippine Poker Tour (PPT) Million-Peso Hold’Em Championship, Chris will be playing for the Philippine General Hospital.
One of the most controversial figures in the entertainment industry, Mo Twister is a DJ for a top Philippine radio station and hosts his own program – Good Times with Mo. He has also appeared in various television shows. His outspoken and straightforward persona has earned him widespread praise and criticism at the same time. Aside from playing in the charity tournament, Mo Twister will also be participating in the main event of the Philippine leg of the APT. He will be looking to win both the charity event and the tournament’s top prize this coming May.
In addition, local and international journalists will also be playing during the first day of the tournament in what is called the APT Media Poker Challenge. The winning player wins a seat to the Main Event worth US$2,500 and will play against the best professional poker players participating in the event.
APT Philippines will be held from May 27 to June 1 at the Dusit Thani Manila Hotel in Makati. The event will be sanctioned by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
After the Philippine leg, the Asian Poker Tour moves on to events in Macau, South Korea and Singapore. The buy-in at all four events is USD $2,500 and the prize pool will be a guaranteed USD $1 million – which means that many of the world’s top poker players will be looking to make their mark at each event.
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