The Minnesota Vikings might have fallen woefully short of the Super Bowl, but the team’s star running back, Adrian Peterson, is hosting a celebrity poker tournament two days prior to the “Big Game” in Dallas. The proceeds from Adrian Peterson’s All-In Celebrity Poker Tournament on Friday, February 4th will benefit Peterson’s All Day Foundation, which, according to a press release, “creates educational experiences and enrichment opportunities for underserved children.”
The event begins at 4:30pm at the Southside Music Hall at Gilley’s Dallas, as the Texas city will serve as the host of Super Bowl XLV on February 6th. The season finale will feature the winner of this weekend’s match-ups between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets. The poker tournament gets underway at 5:00pm local time and its entry fee is $500, which also includes drinks and a “light dinner.”
Former UB.com pro and current free agent Phil Hellmuth headlines the non-football attendee list. Hellmuth, who will serve as the event’s host, holds 11 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and won the Main Event 22 years ago at the age of 24. He’s a rumored contestant on the upcoming cycle of the ABC reality series “Dancing with the Stars” and was the only poker pro named on the tournament’s website.
Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers is expected to be in attendance, although if his team reaches the Super Bowl, we highly doubt he’ll turn out. The Bears are a four-point underdog on Sunday against the Packers according to Bodog. Peppers recorded eight sacks during the 2010 regular season, his lowest mark since 2007, but chalked up 54 tackles and two interceptions.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will also appear. The four-time Pro Bowler is coming off a season in which he hauled in just six touchdowns, but still managed 90 catches for over 1,100 yards. Fitzgerald had recorded 35 touchdowns over the previous three seasons with quarterback Kurt Warner, who retired after the 2009 campaign. This year, Fitzgerald played with a revolving door of quarterbacks that included Max Hall, Derek Anderson, and rookie John Skelton.
Peterson’s teammate in Minnesota, Bernard Berrian, will also be in attendance. Berrian was virtually non-existent on the football field in 2010, only recording 28 receptions, but appeared on the NBC game show “Minute to Win It” before the season started.
Rounding out the promoted list of NFL players is Dallas Cowboys running back Tashard Choice, whose fumble as time expired in the first half against the Washington Redskins in Week 1 might have cost him a considerable amount of playing time. The Redskins’ DeAngelo Hall returned the loose ball for a touchdown and the Cowboys lost 13-7. Choice finished the season with three rushing scores.
Also scheduled to attend are Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield, Carolina Panthers safety Charles Godfrey, Seattle Seahawks running back Justin Forsett, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams, and Washington Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams. A silent auction will be held to raise additional funds and, according to an advertisement on the tournament’s website, a WSOP seat will be up for grabs.
Peterson’s event also offers a $150 spectator ticket that does not include a seat in the poker tournament, but affords its purchaser two drinks and a light dinner. A total of $25,000 in prizes will be given to the top three finishers and the evening is scheduled to wrap up by 9:30pm. Boston Charity Poker is managing the gala.
Learn more about Adrian Peterson’s All-In Celebrity Poker Tournament by checking out its official website.