With the holiday season upon us, it is also time to remember (along with our families and friends) some of those that can’t fend for themselves. Six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Layne Flack will be doing that on Saturday and the public is invited to join him.
Flack will play host to the OnTilt.com Poker Throwdown at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas on Saturday in what should be an exciting way for the poker community to get together for some poker and help out a couple of charitable causes. The Poker Throwdown is a team-based competition that still awards individual performance through special awards such as bounties and bad beats. Two prize pools are offered, one for the overall winner of the event and prizes for the top finishers and medals for the top three teams.
While the $200 (plus $20 juice) event is competitive yet fun, the proceeds from the event will help two causes that are sometimes overlooked by the general public. The Southern Nevada Bully Breed Rescue, an organization that saves shelter, stray and abandoned “bully breed” dogs (pit bulls, bull terriers, etc.). The SNBBR provides shelter, food and training for these dogs until they can be adopted by a family. The other organization being aided by the Layne Flack Poker Throwdown is the Las Vegas Boxer Rescue. Like the SNBBR, the LVBR also provides assistance to abandoned and needy boxers (the dogs, not the pugilists) and offers them a home until they can be adopted as well.
The poker world is coming out in full force for this edition of the Poker Throwdown and the team captains will ensure that the poker competition will be excellent. In addition to Flack, 2013 WSOP Championship Event runner-up Jay Farber will captain a team, as will WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel. Poker professionals Mike Matusow, Stacy Nutini, Todd Brunson, Allen Cunningham, Ryan Welch, 2010 WSOP Championship Event third place finisher Joseph ‘subiime’ Cheong, Eric Baldwin, David Chicotsky, Alex Outhred and 2013 Poker Hall of Fame inductee Tom McEvoy (among others) will also bring their squads to the felt.
Plenty of celebrities will also be on hand for the tournament, looking to take down the professionals at their own game. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Randy Couture, 2012 Mrs. North America Cheryl Prater, rock star Dale Bozzio (Missing Persons), radio host Ron Keel, philanthropist Emily Zolten Jillette (the wife of magician Penn Jillette) and members of the KISS tribute band SIN CITY KISS (Luis Reyes and Johnny Lust) are also set to take to the tables for the fundraiser.
The festivities will kick off at 5PM on Saturday with the opening of a silent auction and the snapping of official team photos. At 6PM, the combatants will walk the “Red Carpet” as they head into the arena at the Golden Nugget, with play expected to kick off at 7PM. The tournament will play on and, for those that aren’t able to make it deep into the tournament, the Poker Throwdown Awards Party will be held at Gold Diggers Night Club at 10PM.
Registration is still open for the tournament, with an individual player able to enter the tournament for the $220 buy in. An official team of five players that will compete against the celebrity and poker pro teams is available for $1200 and a special “spectator pass” costs $20 and allows the purchaser to head to the awards party. All of the proceeds from the tournament will benefit the SNBBR and the LVBR.
To register a team for the tournament or to get in on an individual basis, you can visit the official website of the Layne Flack Poker Throwdown, you can contact the Poker Throwdown via e-mail (at info@pokerthrowdown.net) or you can call (702) 701-4560 for more information. The evening should be great fun for everyone involved and also help out two worthy causes in the Las Vegas area.