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Simon Poker Charity Tournament set to reach 100,000 euros

DUBLIN, Ireland -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Simon Poker Day, taking place at the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Dublin in aid of the homeless, is on target to reach the €100,000 mark next Saturday, Nov. 3 at the RDS, Dublin as the poker community continues to pledge support for the €330 charity event.

PartyPoker this week donated a seat to the €2,000 Irish Poker Championship being held in Galway in the west of Ireland form Jan. 3 to 6, 2008 while reigning World Snooker Champion John Higgins and Littlewoods-sponsored former Premiership and international footballer Tony Cascarino are also signed-up to play in the event. They join already-confirmed former snooker world champions Steve Davis and Dublin native Ken Doherty.

Padraig Parkinson, one of the organisers of the event, said, "It's fantastic that PartyPoker have joined the…erm… party with their Irish Poker Championship seat donation and along with John Duthie's generous EPT Monte Carlo seat giveaway we have a real headache now: how do we maximize the value of the donations? I'm confident the players in Dublin won't let us down as we aim for our target of €100,000."

The European poker community has been quick to weigh in and support the annual event with PokerStars, Paddy Power Poker, 888, Ladbrokes, Green Joker Poker, Merrion Casino Club, and Card Player Magazine, all pitching in with satellites into the event, donations, or organizational help. Of the €300 (+€30) buy-in, €100 goes directly to Simon Dublin with the remaining €200 going into the prize pool.

Last year over 200 players along with corporate and private donators raised just under €50,000 for homeless charity Simon Dublin and the event proved one of the most popular on the circuit attracting players such as Donnacha O'Dea, Jesse May, Scott Gray, Julian Gardner, 'Mad' Marty Wilson, Dave Colclough, Kevin O'Connell, Nick Leeson, Matthew Stevens, and Stephen Hendry. The event was won by former World Champion Noel Furlong who will defend his title.

'Mad' Marty Wilson, who is bringing over 30 players from his home town in England, will be hosting his madcap games 'Win with Wilson' and 'Play your Cards Right' as well as the charity auction during breaks in play.

Bruce Martin, head of online casino and poker at Littlewoods who are putting Cascarino into the event, also found himself with a bit of a headache. "The only problem we have is that Big Cas will be at the final table when it takes place," he grinned. "However if that is the case we'll still donate the full entry fee to the charity."

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