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21-year-old wins NAPT Venetian shootout

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Ashton Griffin isn't just another Internet kid; he's your newest NAPT Champion. The 21-year-old online poker prodigy from Lake Worth, Florida won consecutive shootout tables and eliminated six opponents, racking up a $560,000 payday in the NAPT Venetian High Roller Bounty Shootout.

The win was Griffin's largest live tournament result to date. He also finished seventh at LAPT San José on Season 1, earning $28,956. The $25,000 buy-in invitational featured 49 of the world's best poker players, including former world champion and Team PokerStars.net Pro Peter Eastgate, who made the final table, ultimately finishing in 7th place.

Team PokerStars.net Pro was also represented by Daniel Negreanu, Joe Cada, Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier, Jason Mercier, Joe Hachem, Barry Greenstein, Vanessa Rousso, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, John Duthie, Dario Minieri, Hevad Khan, Steven Paul.

Others in the field included Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Jennifer Tilly, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak, Yevgeniy Timoshenko, Joe Sebok, Tony G and Phil Galfond, amongst others.

The field was divided into seven tables of seven players, via a random table draw. $5,000 was deducted from each player's buy-in and turned into a claimable cash bounty award, given to any player who eliminates another from the tournament. Bust an opponent; claim his/her bounty.

Each table was played sit'n'go style and the seven winners from the opening round heats received $75,000 and earned a spot at the final table which boasted a winner-take-all format.

PokerStars.net added a $100,000 cash bonus to the prizepool, awarded to the player who collected the most bounties. PokerStars.net player Scott Seiver was the recipient of that award, claiming eight victims throughout the tournament.

Seiver eliminated all six opponents at his opening round table, jumping out to an early lead in the bounty race. He added two more at the final table finishing with a tournament-best eight bounties, worth a grand total of $140,000 ($40,000 in bounties and a $100,000 bonus).

Final table payouts:

(Place finished, Name, Country, Prize money, Bounties claimed)

1st: Ashton Griffin (USA) - $560,000 (6)
2nd: Hoyt Corkins (USA) - $100,000 (5)
3rd: Joe Cassidy (USA) - $95,000 (4)
4th: Scott Seiver (PokerStars.net Player, USA) - $215,000 (8)
5th: Faraz Jaka (PokerStars.net Player, USA) - $95,000 (4)
6th: Brett Richey (USA) - $90,000 (3)
7th: Peter Eastgate (Team PokerStars.net Pro, Denmark) - $85,000 (2)

The NAPT Venetian High Roller Bounty Shootout final table was streamed on a five-minute delay over the Internet via NAPT Live at www.napt.com/tv.

The tournament was also filmed for broadcast on ESPN2; dates airing TBC.

The next stop on the PokerStars.net North American Poker Tour is the inaugural $5,000 buy-in NAPT Mohegan Sun event, running from April 7-11, 2010 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. For more information, please visit http://www.napt.com

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