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Actor Tom Everett Scott Becomes First Celebrity to Make WPT Invitational Final Table
Published: 2005-02-24
 Actor Tom Everett Scott Becomes First Celebrity to Make WPT Invitational Final Table; Scott, Mimi Rogers and Hill Harper Awarded US Playing Card's 1,000-Chip 'World Poker Tour Luxury Chest' for Top Three Celebrity Spots in Annual WPT Celebrity Pro-Am
PR Newswire, Feb 24, 2005
COMMERCE, Calif., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- When the six players take to the Final Table in tonight's WPT Invitational, the WORLD POKER TOUR'S(TM) annual celebrity pro-am at the Commerce Casino, it will be the first time an actor will be sitting at the green felt -- and not just a poker pro with a great poker face. Tom Everett Scott, star of the Tom Hank's film "That Thing You Do" and soon to be seen in the CBS Movie "Surrender Dorothy" with Diane Keaton, will be sitting in Seat 3 with a pile of chips that places him fourth in the chip count.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050224/LATH144)
Scott had to battle it out with the final two celebrities in the field -- Hill Harper of CSI:NY and film star Mimi Rogers to claim the celebrity title in the event that featured 40+ celebrities competing with nearly 200 poker pros. The top ranked celebrity was to receive a $5,000 check to go to charity and Scott has selected Caring for Children and Families with Aids.
Each of the three final celebrities was also awarded the coveted 1,000-chip "Official WORLD POKER TOUR Luxury Poker Chest" from maker U.S. Playing Card and from the WPT. The set features beautifully branded 11.5-gram chips, the same type used by the pros in tournament play, two decks of professional-quality WPT playing cards and two cut cards in a handsome two-tiered wood case. The US Playing Card WORLD POKER TOUR-branded products have become the favorite of the Hollywood set. Scott praised the set as "Awesome."
Seeming slightly stunned to have made the Final Table, Scott said, "I really can't believe it. I really don't know what I did. I just hope I play as well in the Final."
He'll start play with the equivalent of $333,000 in chips, which puts him in fourth place. The six finalists will be vying for a total $200,000 prize pool -- $100,000 of it going to the winner, along with a seat at the WPT World Championship at Bellagio in Las Vegas in April.
Scott will be ante-ing up alongside pros Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, the long-haired World Champion; Johan Storakers, a top Swedish player from Stockholm; Chau Giang, 20-year veteran of poker from Las Vegas and Alex Brenes, one of the three poker playing Brenes brothers from Costa Rica. Brothers Humberto and Erek, who also run the family peanut exporting business, have each made other WPT Final Tables. The last seat will be taken by Bruce Buffer, brother of fight announcer "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" Michael Buffer, who serves as his business manager and also acts as announcer himself for "Ultimate Fighting Challenge."
Scott outlasted the other 40 celebrities with a combination of conservative, slow building of his chip cache and occasional high risk "All-Ins." The last six included Harper, Rogers, Jeremy Sisto ("Six Feet Under"), Chris Masterson ("Malcolm in the Middle") and Stephen Collins ("7th Heaven"). After receiving his "Official WPT Luxury Chest," Scott laughed, "Guess this means I'll be hosting a few home games of my own to make use of all of those chips!"
The Final Table taping begins at 3 p.m. at the Commerce Casino, seven minutes down the freeway from downtown Los Angeles. Viewers are welcome to attend and will be seated on a first come, first serve basis.
About the Official World Poker Tour Luxury Poker Chest
The handsome two-tiered case features 1,000 WPT 11.5 gram heavyweight clay-filled poker chips (400 gray, 300 blue, 200 red and 100 black). The 11.5-gram chip is known as the true poker player's chip. Unlike other poker chips available to fans, USPC WPT chips are made using the same processes as the chips used by the top casinos on the WPT tour. The WPT-sanctioned clay-filled chip features a highly detailed full-color WPT logo in the center, like only the best chips in the world. An exclusive WPT spade design and casino stripes are molded into the chip using two colors. USPC WPT chips are easier to shuffle and manipulate than other poker chips, because they have specially designed rounded edges and a rough clay surface. In research, avid poker players preferred USPC chips to other chips available in the market. This set also features two tournament-quality Official WPT Logo Decks, and two cut cards. The WPT Logo decks shuffle better, deal easier, and last longer than cards from other manufacturers. USPC creates its top grade cards from a proprietary formulation of paper stock derived from a blend of soft and hard woods. With the distinctive red, blue and black WPT logo on the back, they come with either a primarily white or black background -- a perfect pair to speed game play. The WPT Logo Decks have the true feel and playability of top casino cards, retaining their shape after many hours of play. The suggested retail price for the Official WPT Luxury Poker Chest is $399.99. It is available at selected retail outlets, as well as online at http://www.worldpokertour.com/.
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Card Player Magazine Principals Provide Expert Advice to North Dakota Legislature on 'Internet Poker Bill'
Published: 2005-02-23
 Card Player Magazine Principals Provide Expert Advice to North Dakota Legislature on 'Internet Poker Bill'
PR Newswire, Feb 23, 2005
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Card Player magazine, the Poker Authority, has the ear of the North Dakota State Legislature, which is moving forward with a bill to license and regulate online poker sites, now a $2 billion industry.
North Dakota House Bill 1509, the "Internet Poker Bill," passed the State's House of Representatives February 16, 2005. The bill, now scheduled for State Senate vote on March 15th, 2005, would create an online poker jurisdiction in the State. North Dakota would collect taxes and fees by licensing and regulating online poker sites. This would significantly increase State revenue and regulate a growing, popular industry.
"I am deeply grateful to Barry Shulman, editor of Card Player magazine, and Allyn Jaffrey Shulman, attorney with expertise in online poker, who have been instrumental in assisting the North Dakota legislature," says Rep. Jim Kasper, North Dakota House of Representatives. "This bill could potentially match the whole revenue stream that the state has now."
In assisting with HB 1509, the Shulman's provided necessary legal analysis, industry statistics and, on March 15th, 2005 will testify in the North Dakota State Senate. "Online poker is now a $2 billion business and, just last year, online poker play increased approximately 600%," says Card Player magazine Publisher Barry Shulman. "Now over 100,000 people are playing poker on-line at any given time on over 400 different poker sites."
Kasper estimates the HB 1509 could bring up to $500 million of new revenue to the state. Under his plan, Kasper would use 60% of the poker revenue for property tax relief, 20% for public education and 20% for the state's general fund. Kasper says North Dakota will fight the federal government in court if the federal officials block state law.
About Card Player magazine and Shulman Media, LLC.
With over 18 years of service to the gaming industry, Card Player magazine is the authoritative voice within the poker industry. Published bi-weekly, the 140-page magazine has a circulation of over 100,000. Other media holdings include Card Player Europe, a new monthly magazine, CardPlayer.com, the world's leading poker portal with over 30,000 daily visitors and an opt-in poker newsletter with over 130,000 subscribers.
Barry Shulman is the poker industry advisor to the World Poker Tour, Professional Poker Tour, and Edge TV. Shulman has won nine major poker tournaments since 2000 including the coveted World Series of Poker bracelet. Recently he authored his first book, "52 Tips for Limit Hold'em," published by CardPlayer Press.
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman is one of the world's leading experts on online gambling law. Having been a courtroom attorney, practicing criminal defense for over 20 years, her expertise lies in the area of complex legal analysis, issues of constitutional magnitude, police and judicial misconduct and contempt of court. She is widely published and has lectured all over California teaching other attorneys the fine points of complex litigation. Shulman is the lawyer's lawyer.
Media Contact
Card Player Magazine
Justin Marchand
Tel. 702.327.8298
CONTACT: Media, Justin Marchand of Card Player magazine, +1-702-327-8298
Web site: http://cardplayer.com/
COPYRIGHT 2005 PR Newswire Association LLC
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group
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