On Tuesday, May 24 celebrities and poker stars came together to play in The H.O.M.E. Foundation’s Celebrity Casino Royale poker tournament, raising money and awareness for wonderful charities including spcaLA and the I’m Too Young For This Cancer Foundation.
Professional Poker Player, WSOP Winner, Author and “Celebrity Apprentice” star Annie Duke came out ready to play poker and raise money for charity. Celebrities battled against Annie Duke with the casino crowd cheering her on. Unfortunately, Annie Duke did not make it to the Final Table, getting outplayed by celebrities including Dancing with the Stars alumni Shannon Elizabeth and ABC’s “Off the Map” star Nicholas Gonzalez – both made it to the Final Table.
WWE Superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, a natural crowd pleaser, threw down some good hands, along with other guest celebrities including actors Benito Martinez, Michael Gladis, Carl Weathers, Josh Henderson and Corey Feldman, among others. Some reality stars fared well against the poker pros including “Survivor” winner Judson Birza, “Real Housewives of Orange County” stars Alexis and Jim Bellino and “Amazing Race” contestants and Pro Poker Players Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle.
But at Celebrity Casino Royale, the real winners are the benefiting charities – spcaLA and the I’m Too Young For This Cancer Foundation. According to Frank Verdugo, president of The H.O.M.E. Foundation and event host, the event raised much needed funds and awareness for amazing causes while bringing together pokers stars and celebrities for a night of great entertainment. The H.O.M.E. Foundation committed to raising $200,000 for the charities and is well on its way achieving that goal.
Celebrity Casino Royale featured a casino area including blackjack and roulette tables, along with the main attraction, a poker tournament. Over 100 poker stars, celebrities and VIP guests competed in the tournament for a chance to win fabulous grand prizes including Original Steve Soffa Watches, a Buy In to the WSOP and a $13,000 European Vacation, among trips to Dublin, Scotland, Italy and Costa Rica.
