MLB hosts charity poker game
7th February, 2008
America's Major League Baseball (MLB) stars took a break from the circuit over the weekend to partake in the first ever Poker Celebrity Bowl.
The tournament was held at Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino Resort in Phoenix, Arizona and raised $40,000 (£20,000) for the Royce Clayton Family Foundation (RCFF), a social support charity that sponsors a diverse range of outreach programmes.
RCFF aims to improve the lives of people living with sickle cell anaemia as well as providing support for battered women and helping homeless children.
The Poker Bowl saw celebrity sporting athletes such as MLB pitcher Kyle Lohse and former basketball Hall-of-Famer Bob Lanier pitted against one another in a bid to win a seat at the World Series of Poker main event - an accolade that ultimately fell to Jeromy McMahon of Arizona.
"Poker is a fantastic way for fans and celebrities to unite," a charity press release read. "The Royce Clayton Family Foundation was started to help others achieve their dreams, and today we were able to raise money to make a difference."
Poker Celebrity Bowl teasingly borrowed its title from America's most popular sporting event, the Super Bowl, which was also held over the weekend.
