Running Aces Harness Park in Columbus, Minnesota will play host to the tenth annual Trent Tucker Celebrity Poker Tournament. The event kicks off on Thursday, September 11th at 7:00pm and will raise money for the Trent Tucker Non-Profit Organization, “which has been dedicated for the past seven years to empowering youth to make positive choices, increase self-respect, and develop a vision for the future,” according to the organization’s website.
Running Aces Property Manager Bob Farinella told Poker News Daily, “When we created Running Aces racetrack and card room, we said we wanted to do things to help our community. We thought hosting the Charity Poker Tournament would be a great way to promote a charitable event as well as showcase our card room.” Farinella expects around 230 poker players in the event plus about 100 spectators to attend. The track opened in April.
A bevy of sports celebrities are slated to appear. They include five-time National Basketball Association (NBA) MVP Michael Jordan. His career spanned three decades. Jordan retired twice during it and returned for the last time in 2001 as a member of the Washington Wizards. His final NBA game was played in 2003. Another former NBA player, Charles Oakley, is also scheduled to participate. He spent most of his career with the New York Knicks and played his last game in 2004.
Minnesota Vikings safety Darren Sharper will also be at Running Aces Harness Park on Thursday night. Sharper entered the National Football League (NFL) in 1997 as a member of the Green Bay Packers. He had 113 total tackles in 1999 and picked off nine passes in 2000 and 2005. He’s currently the starting strong safety for the Minnesota Vikings. Another Minnesota sports personality, Flip Saunders, will compete as well. Saunders has served as the Head Coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons NBA franchises. He was fired from the latter post in June.
Among those poker pros slated to appear is Marcel Luske. He is fresh off making two final tables at the 2008 World Series of Poker. He finished fourth in the $5,000 buy-in World Championship of Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split Eight or Better, cashing for $95,069. Luske also finished third in the $3,000 buy-in HORSE event, banking $110,264. Luske first cashed in a WSOP event in 2002 and bubbled the Main Event final table in 2004. He also made the final table of the European Poker Tour’s Monte Carlo Grand Final event in 2006.
Other celebrities in attendance will include former Chicago Bulls stars Scottie Pippen, Ron Harper, and B.J. Armstrong. Additional NBA celebrities include Patrick Ewing, Billy McKinney, Darrell Walker, Truck Robinson, Brad Sellers, Pete Myers, and Fred Hoiberg. University of Minnesota men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith will be at the racetrack, as will 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan.
Prizes up for grabs at the Trent Tucker Celebrity Poker Tournament include $12,500 cash, tickets to Minnesota professional sporting events, and a 52-inch television. Poker seats can be purchased for $1,250 and spectator seats are available for $50. All participants must be 18 years or older. Tucker stated, “We’re very pleased Running Aces Harness Park is committed to helping improve the lives of our youth. The card room at Running Aces is second to none. It will be a wonderful venue for what promises to be another successful poker tournament.” The card room houses 25 poker tables and 25 tables for casino games.
Tucker will also host a celebrity golf tournament on Saturday at the Rush Creek Golf Course in Maple Grove. The shotgun start begins promptly at 10:00am.