In the last few years, cryptocurrency and investing seem to go hand in hand for many in the poker world. Throw some celebrities into the mix and poker fans are in store for quite a convergence this week.
PokerGO is hosting the first StormX Invitational Poker Tournament on Thursday at 6 pm (ET), with players from all of these backgrounds jumping in the action.
The event streams live from the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas and features an 81-player field. That group includes crypto entrepreneurs, investors, poker pros, and celebrities.
Each player is ponying up a $5,000 buy-in with a minimum prize pool of $405,000, although re-entries could add to that. Poker fans can tune in on PokerGO or the network’s YouTube channel to check out the action for free. Will it be poker pros, crypto cash managers, or celebrities coming out on top?
“}”>
A look at some of those in the field
Poker Fans looking for some fun action will find some of the biggest names in the game. The StormX (a crypto-based marketing platform and PokerGO sponsor) features players like Phil Hellmuth, Tom Dwan, Maria Ho, David Williams, and more.
The diverse field also includes poker players from the world of sports including NBA star Paul Pierce and UFC announcer Bruce Buffer. NASCAR driver Landon Cassill is also gearing up for the event and also mans the wheel of the StormX car in the Xfinity Series.
I know we talk about a lot of things on this timeline but @SimonYuSEA invited me to play in the most legit celebrity poker tournament ever assembled and it’s happening 3 days before I drive his @stormxio car in Vegas on March 5 https://t.co/ADDXZkabkU
— landon cassill (@landoncassill) February 10, 2022
On the crypto and investing side, numerous investors and business leaders will compete including Litecoin founder Charlie Lee, StormX CEO and founder Simon Yu, and numerous others.
A few celebrities set to play include fashion model Amber Arbucci, YouTuber DJCrypto, PokerGO commentators Jeff Platt and Brent Hanks, and numerous others.
What to expect
PokerGO is taking a break from the high roller action for this event featuring some celebrity card. The event comes after StormX recently became a key sponsor of the streaming site.
Staging crypto-related and celeb events was a part of the partnership and this is now the first of those.
The big question is: can the poker pros in the field take advantage of so many less-experienced businessmen and women? Players like Dwan and Hellmuth have plenty of experience at the tables with well-heeled entrepreneurs looking to dip their toes in the poker waters.
A regular in high stakes games in Asia, Dwan has played with plenty of wealthy business leaders and entrepreneurs. He and some of the pros involved should have no problem navigating the field.
However, the structure is expected to be quick, giving recreational players more of a chance to accumulate some chips, run deep, and have a shot. Look for the event to last around six hours, not a multi-day event that would favor professionals.
Plenty of businessmen have found some success in high stakes situations like this before. PokerGO founder Cary Katz is a regular in high stakes events and has plenty of wins and big cashes. Bill Perkins, Bill Klein, Paul Phua, and numerous others have also become poker regulars with nice results.
Also, who could forget Dallas banker and billionaire Andy Beal taking on some of the biggest names in poker in the early 2000s. His efforts at heads-up Limit Hold’em for massive stakes was documented in Michael Craig’s book The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time.
The tournament should make for some interesting viewing. For a complete list of all those expected to compete in the StormX Invitational, click here.
No Comments Yet