IN THE ultimate curtain-raiser to The Star Gold Coast’s new world-class poker space, a Celebrity Poker Tournament has been announced for Thursday night September 26, on the eve of Australia’s first ever World Poker Tour® Festival.An impressive suite of celebrities, poker stars and special guests are set to descend on The Star Gold Coast across the 11-day Festival which, following a landmark deal, is being hosted at The Star from September 27 to October 7.
Former NRL Gold Coast Titans captain and popular local identity Scott Prince has today been revealed as The Star Gold Coast Poker’s ambassador, with The Star’s long-time partner Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) unveiled as the opening night’s dedicated charity.
Former NRL star Beau Ryan will co-host the Celebrity opener, alongside World Poker Tour (WPT®) anchor and Australian female poker legend Lynn Gilmartin, while first-time Australian poker champion and WPT Champions Club member Joe Hachem, Brisbane-based poker hot-shot Alex Lynskey and Australian DJ Havana Brown just some of the names that will feature on the celebrity table.
It comes as a large contingency of overseas players are expected to converge on The Star to play the first Australian WPT tournament across the 11 days, taking the opportunity to rub shoulders with poker champions and celebs such as avid card player and Australian cricket champion Shane Warne, who confirmed his attendance to WPT Australia at The Star via a live Instagram video announcement from the start of the 5th Ashes Test on Saturday night.
The Star Gold Coast Chief Operating Officer Jessica Mellor said The Star’s ongoing journey to becoming Australia’s leading integrated resort company continues to attract global events that propel the Gold Coast onto the world stage and makes the venue a hub for celebrity-spotting.
“Securing Australia’s inaugural WPT event is a fantastic coup for not only our city, but for the state and the nation, and is a huge testament to our commitment to continually elevating our offering and cementing our reputation as an ever-evolving entertainment mecca,” Ms Mellor said.
“An exciting 11 days of WPT action will see an impressive contingency of local and overseas poker enthusiasts descend on The Star Gold Coast to compete in the first ever WPT event on Australian soil.”
The event celebrates the unveiling of The Star Gold Coast’s new dedicated poker space which features 12 permanent poker tables and nine tournament tables all boasting the latest in poker technology including bespoke IT and registration systems allowing players to register for cash games via SMS.
“We are dealing players the perfect hand with our stunning new state of the art poker space and we cannot wait to showcase to the world Queensland’s new home of poker,” Ms Mellor said.
“We have a long-standing relationship with SLSQ, and what a perfect way to celebrate our latest high-end offering by not only officially opening Australia’s first ever WPT Festival, but raising much-needed funds for such an iconic Queensland organisation that truly epitomises the essence of living oceanside in the sunshine state.”
Scott Prince said he was excited to be on board to launch The Star Gold Coast Poker and raise money for a good cause.
“I’ve played a bit of poker in my time, but I’m definitely going to have to practice my poker face!” he said.
“Poker’s really making a comeback, it’s exciting, and this new facility at The Star will offer a great place to play, whether you’re an amateur or a pro.”
The full WPT Australia Festival takes place from September 27 to October 7, with 10 events on the schedule and buy-ins ranging from A$330 to A$5,000. The WPT Main Event buy-in is A$2,500 with an estimated prize pool of more than $1 million.
In the lead up to the WPT Main Event, The Star will also play host to a poolside VIP Player’s Party on Saturday, October 5 which will see celebrity guests and some of Australia’s best poker players attend.
Registrations are now open for the public to take part in Australia’s World Poker Tour Festival at The Star Gold Coast. For more information, visit www.starpoker.com.au/wpt-2019 or visit The Star Gold Coast Poker
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