By Chad Holloway
There’s no denying Phil Hellmuth’s poker prowess. In June the “Poker Brat” captured his 12th gold bracelet at the 2012 World Series of Poker in the $2,500 Razz event, his first in a non-hold’em tournament. While the WSOP is in the books, at least until October, Hellmuth is already planning a return to the felt on Saturday, Aug. 18 at the third annual Agrace HospiceCare Hold’em with Hellmuth Charity Event.
Previous incarnations of the event have taken place in December, but as any Midwesterner can tell you, a Wisconsin winter can be quite grueling. As such, event organizers have moved the event up to late summer.
This year’s tournament will be held at the Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis., Hellmuth’s hometown, and will be attended by the likes of poker pros Annette Obrestad, Gavin Smith, Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon, Anthony “D1rtyR1v3R” Nardi and Jerry Yang.
“Phil is a great guy,” said Yang, winner of the 2007 WSOP main event. “I think he’s doing a great thing for the community, especially for the HospiceCare. I used to work in a nursing home and I know what it’s like for a family to go through Hospice and things like that. It’s a passion of mine to support something like that.”
In addition, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian; former University of Wisconsin Badgers football coach Barry Alvarez; NBC 15’s Charlie Shortino, Carleen Wild and Leigh Mills; Olympic Gold Medal speed skater Casey FitzRandolph; and Madison Mayor Paul Soglin will all be in attendance.
Aside from a poker tournament, the event will include a golf outing, a raffle for a new Honda Fit car and a seat into the 2013 WSOP Main Event, and a silent auction for items such as a Craig Morgan guitar, Green Bay Packers tickets and memorabilia, and UW Badgers tickets, just to name a few.
The price of admission to the event, which includes food, beverage, and the tournament, is $300, all of which goes to the charity, while VIP and Entertainment tickets are available for $500 and $100 respectively. There are also sponsorship opportunities for those individuals and companies looking to support the great cause.
To buy your ticket to the event or become a sponsor, visit agracehospicecare.org. You can also stay updated on the event on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/holdemwithhellmuth.
— Chad Holloway is Ante Up’s Wisconsin Ambassador. He’s also a Senior Writer for PokerNews.com and is a sponsored member of Team Blue Shark Optics. Email him at anteupchad@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter @ChadAHolloway.
