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Poker.co.uk - Poker News Archive
Monday 5th June 2006 Operation Dreamshot to Award WSOP Seats to Wounded Soldiers
San Antonio, TX—June 6, 2006 - - In association with Screaming Eagle Poker, Bluff Magazine and SunPoker.com, two Wounded Warriors, soldiers injured while in military service, will be given a chance at poker immortality. On Wednesday June 21, San Antonio, Texas will be the site of the first-ever “Operation Dream-Shot” Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament that will award the two most significant seats ever at the 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas. More than one hundred soldiers will battle it out on the felt in a Free Roll Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament hosted by World Poker Champion Kenna James. At stake is the opportunity of a lifetime to play in the biggest poker event in history and a “Dream-Shot” to win part of the estimated 80 million dollar prize pool.
“Operation Dream-Shot” is the brainchild of Sgt. Felix Gutierrez of the 101st Airborne and Kenna James, who came up with the concept of holding a poker tournament with a Veteran’s medical facility where the champions each win a seat to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Sgt. Gutierrez is the President of Screaming Eagle Poker (www.screamingeagle.org) an organization of U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq that hold FREE No Limit Texas Hold ’Em Tournaments on a weekly basis to help soldiers get a mental escape from the anguish of living in a combat zone. More than just a social club, Screaming Eagle members want to make a difference. They have dedicated themselves to raising money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) (www.woundedwarriorproject.org), an organization that assists men and
women injured during military service in Iraq and Afghanistan and other
terror hot spots around the world.
Kenna James, a favorite at the upcoming WSOP, was so impressed with the idea of being able to use poker to help support Wounded Warriors, that he is dedicating the week prior to the WSOP to host the Dream-Shot tournament instead of fine tuning his game, like most of his poker competitors. Kenna has also pledged his support on tour by offering 1% of his winnings for this next season to WWP and a promise to raise awareness for their efforts everywhere he goes.
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Bluff Magazine and SunPoker.com embraced the idea of supporting WWP as well, and are not only assisting in running the “Operation Dream-Shot” tournament, but are also donating the WSOP packages worth $13,000 each.
While two players will win seats at the WSOP, everyone playing in the Dream-Shot tournament will be a winner. The day before the tournament, World Poker Champion Kenna James will make a special visit to Brooks Medical Hospital in San Antonio at 1:00pm to meet and chat with some of the wounded soldiers and a tour of the facility. Then at 6:00 PM on the that same day over at Dave & Busters (440 Crossroads Blvd.) he will be hosting, poker “Basic Training”, which is designed to teach the wounded warriors who might otherwise not know, when to hold ‘em, and when to fold ‘em. At 8:00 PM, Kenna will switch it into high gear with a more in depth look at some of the nuances of the game that separate winning from losing.
The actual “Dream Shot” tournament will begin promptly at 6:00 PM on Wednesday the 21st again at Dave & Busters, where 100 Wounded Warriors will begin the battle of the felt, and two players will win seats to the 2006 WSOP in Las Vegas, and a chance at the estimated $80 Million prize pool.
About the Wounded Warrior Project
The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is a non-profit organization aimed at assisting those men and women of the United States armed forces who have been severely injured during the war on terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots around the world. Beginning at the bedside of the severely wounded, WWP provides programs and services designated to ease the burdens of these heroes and their families, aid in the recovery process and smooth the transition back to civilian life. For more information, please call (540) 342-0032 or visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org
About Screaming Eagle Poker
The Screaming Eagle Poker Association has a saying - 'you have to be willing to die in order to live'. For all the soldiers and members of the Screaming Eagle Poker Association, this is not just a saying, but also a reality they face on a daily basis. Their selfless service and willingness to pay the ultimate sacrifice for their country is a tribute to their patriotism. Being deployed to a hostile country, where the enemy is always plotting a way to harm you, can be very disheartening. Screaming Eagle Poker Board of Directors is comprised of combat veterans with one idea in mind - 'taking care of soldiers'. Screaming Eagle Poker boosts the morale of troops by volunteering time to plan, organize, and manage FREE No Limit Texas Hold ’Em Tournaments on a weekly basis. The events build Esprit De Corp and help soldiers get a mental escape from the anguish of living in a combat zone. Screaming Eagle Poker plans to make poker a recognized competition within the Army, not unlike its chess and boxing teams. Screaming Eagle Poker is also dedicated to helping out its own casualties of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) by sponsoring and holding fund raising poker events; ultimately donating the money to help wounded soldiers and families of OIF/OEF.
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About SunPoker.com
SunPoker.com is one of the largest poker rooms on the Internet, with thousands of players from around the world playing Texas Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, Omaha, and other exciting poker games, 24 hours a day. SunPoker.com is run on the Cryptologic (NASDAQ: CRYP) network, and has securely dealt over 1.2 Billion hands of poker since 2000.
About Bluff Magazine
Source: OnlineCasinoNews
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