The MGM Grand poker room in Las Vegas was packed with celebrities and well-known poker pros on Thursday night, all playing with one purpose in mind: to raise money for Road 2 Recovery. At the end of the day, about 75 players turned out. Ultimate Bet’s Tiffany Michelle, a member of the online poker room’s Star Players Team, stood tall above the field in the tournament.
According to its website, the Road 2 Recovery is “dedicated to helping professional AMA licensed professional motocross/supercross members with financial assistance if they sustain career-ending injuries as well as providing motivational, emotional, and spiritual support to these individuals and their families.” There were 75 attendees in total, including the best of the motocross and poker worlds. Representing the former were Supercross celebrities Jimmy Button, Chad Reed, Grant Langston, and Jason Thomas.
The tournament featured a buy-in of $300. If a player found themselves out of chips, he or she could rebuy for $100 during the first four levels of play and also add on for another $100. The aggressive play and charitable cause attracted several noteworthy ambassadors of the poker world including two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Jeff Madsen and Omaha aficionado Robert Williamson III. The husband and wife team of Jennifer Harman and Marco Traniello made their way to the MGM poker room on Thursday, as did another couple, Karina and Chip Jett. Doyle’s Room personalities Hoyt Corkins and Todd Brunson played, as did prop bet enthusiast Joe Sebok. Rounding out the field of poker personalities was 2006 WSOP Main Event winner Jamie Gold, who took home $12 million in that tournament for his win over Paul Wasicka.
The first place prize was a $10,000 seat into the 2009 WSOP Main Event. The second and third place finishers each took home watches designed by Curtis and Company. Attendees who bid on silent auction items also helped raise money for Road 2 Recovery. They included autographed helmets signed by Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber, San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, former Miami Dolphins signal caller Dan Marino, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, and Super Bowl XLII MVP Eli Manning. Also available in the silent auction was an autographed WWF Championship belt signed by Hulk Hugan and an autographed picture of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
The Road 2 Recovery Foundation is based in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was started back in 2000 by Bob Moore, Bob Walker, and Jimmy Button after a motorcycle accident left Button injured while warming up for a show in San Diego. The organization’s website notes, “Since a riders union didn’t exist, there was a critical need for an organization that would provide financial and emotional assistance when an extreme situation arose.” It’s sponsored by Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Toyota, among others.
Ultimate Bet Star Players Team member Tiffany Michelle took down the Road 2 Recovery’s tournament. A spokesman for the charity told Poker News Daily, “It was a great mix of people that came. We had a lot of the well-known pros come out.” Michelle was the last woman standing in the 2008 WSOP Main Event, finishing 17th and cashing for $334,000.