In June, The Golden Nugget in Las Vegas plays host to two very special events near and dear to my heart. The first is the inaugural fundraiser for Poker Gives, a charity organization at pokergives. org, I co-founded with Mike Sexton, Linda Johnson, and Lisa Tenner. It's a donation vehicle for poker players and others to channel funds to a preselected group of worthwhile causes without having to jump through hoops to make it happen. It is tax-deductible and the Nevada Community Foundation is managing the funds and accounting. By doing this, we are ensuring that close to 95 percent of all money raised gets to the donors' choice of The Intrepid Fallen Heroes, Special Olympics, American Cancer Society, or Paralyzed Veterans of America. None of the founders or board members have or will ever take a salary to continue this effort.
On June 4, 2009, at 7 p.m. the cards will be in the air for the charity no-limit hold 'em poker tournament. The buy in is $230 and the re-buys are $50 each. Fifty percent of the prize pool goes to the winners of the event and the other 50 percent to the charities. To thank our players, our sponsors have donated gift bags for each contestant. In addition, the winner will receive an entry to the World Poker Tour Invitational next year. This prize is truly priceless as you can only get in by entering the $25,000 championship event or by being invited. It is a prestigious event with a red-carpet walk and plenty of L.A. style sizzle. Mike Sexton and many other poker personalities and super-stars will be present, and I invite you all to Shuffle up for Poker Gives and help us to help others.
The other big event at the Nugget is the second annual induction for the Women in Poker Hall of Fame. I am honored and humbled to tell you all that I've been selected to enter that esteemed group, alongside June Field and Cyndy Violette. We will join last year's inaugural recipients Marsha Waggoner, Linda Johnson, Susie Isaacs, and Barbara Enright on the "soon to be infamous" Wall of Fame. The June 5 event starts at 7 p.m. and is a dinner dance emceed by Mike Sexton. Those who attended last year may purchase tickets for $75 and the cost for first-timers will be $80. For those of you who've never heard Mike speak, it will be a funny and poignant walk down memory lane with some of the business' finest.
June Field was the founder of Card Player Magazine back in 1988, the dark ages of poker, and Card Player Cruises in 1992. She also was instrumental in moving poker journalism into what it is today. She is an avid poker player and won a gold bracelet in the ladies seven-card stud event at the WSOP in 1982. I have known June for more than 25 years and am proud to call her a personal friend as well as pleased to share this honor with her.
Cyndy Violette is also an icon in the poker world. I first met Cyndy when she played at the Golden Nugget in the early 80s. While some looked at her as though she couldn't have been legal in those years-no one said that about me-she was a fierce competitor and was often the only other woman in the cardroom besides me. Moving to the East Coast and playing in Atlantic City casinos for years, she's been an advocate for women's poker and good conduct as well as a poster child for healthy living and veganism. She has a clothing line of fun to wear T-shirts and accessories that can be found on her website, www.cyndyviolette.com. Always a role-model, she achieved one of her life goals in 2004 by winning a coveted gold bracelet at the WSOP.
Please join my friends June, Cyndy, and me in receiving this honor and also in supporting the charity fundraiser. Contact me at Jan@cardplayercruises.com for more information. Moving right along!
Jan Fisher has 30 years experience as a poker player, tournament director, strategist/columnist, co-founder of the Tournament Directors Association, Partner in Card Player Cruises, WPT Boot Camp instructor and statistician, and live studio announcer for the Professional Poker Tour. E-mail Jan at Jan@cardplayercruises.com.
