RIVER POKER TOUR AT SAM'S TOWN

"We had such a successful start with our first event that we wanted to play this one in Mississippi as well," said Steve Rosatti, a partner in the new company based in Clarksdale, MS.

"The underlying idea of the Tour is to let the average poker player pay a modest entry fee to play in an event like the big time ones you see on TV these days. Players who come up with $10,000 and $5,000 entry fees are few in number and our fees range from $200 to $500 depending on the size and location of the event," he said. "The kicker is, that we will use the same interesting techniques on the final table, like hidden cameras to show hole cards, interviews, and so forth, as we plan to televise final tables in the future once we have solidified a TV agreement."

Given the Tour increased credibility is the news that World Series of Poker Champion, Chris Moneymaker of Nashville, TN has turned pro with his $2.5 million won in Las Vegas at the 2003 WSP and is directly involved with the new Tour. He will play in the Moneymaker Shootout against a table of celebrities and high stakes players who paid $1,500 each to take him on at noon Sunday, winner take all.

The prize pool for Friday and Saturday is expected to be about $20,000 with first place paying about $7,000. Call the Sam's Town poker room at 1-800-456-0711 for more information.

Graham Media in Clarksdale is doing the taping and production work for the Tour, said Rosatti, who is currently negotiating with three major networks for a possible national televised showing.