Broke: A Poker Novel
Robin Tunney Wins PokerRoom Celebrity Poker Showdown
Robin Tunney playing during the Celebrity Poker Showdown. held at a $15 million mansion in Hollywood Hills in anticipation of the upcoming MTV Movie Awards. Tunney won the tournament beating out Amanda Columbus for the grand prize package valued at approximately $50,000, plus a spot on Team PokerRoom.com for the upcoming "World Series of Poker" main event in July.
At approximately 12:30 a.m. on Friday, Tunney and Amanda Columbus, a friend of Shannon Elizabeth, were even in chips after a second hand of heads up. The final hand started with a raise and call in the pre-flop. The pre-flop came King, Jack, Four -- unsuited. Columbus pushed all-in and Tunney called with bottom pair Nine, Four. Columbus held Queen, Six. The turn came Jack and river Ace with Tunney on top to end the PokerRoom.com tournament. She was excited and elated at having beaten several very good players. Celebrities and professional players -- including Chris Birchby, Shannon Elizabeth, Lukas Haas, Kelly Hu, Oliver Hudson, Sunny Mabrey, Andy Milonakis, Erik Palladino, Joe Reitman, Simon Rex, Johnathon Schaech, Jeremy Sisto, and Jennifer Tilly -- fared well throughout the tournament.
During the presentation of the grand prize package, PokerRoom.com spokesperson Glenn Cademartori announced that Tunney would receive a buy-in for the "World Series of Poker" main event worth $10,500 and a spot on Team PokerRoom.com, a group of more than a hundred up-and-coming poker players who compete at some of the most prominent poker tournaments, including the World Poker Tour Finals. Team members duke it out for available spots at tournaments, but also learn from each other by comparing strategies and their experiences.
Several Team PokerRoom.com members participated in this exclusive event in Hollywood Hills, rubbing elbows with many celebrity poker players. The celebrity poker showdown was hosted by Jim Davenport, a 25-year-old University of Southern California graduate from Newport Beach, California, who became a professional poker player in March 2006 after receiving an endorsement package valued at $250,000 from PokerRoom.com. Davenport conducted card clinics with celebrities during the day at the undisclosed Hollywood Hills Style Lounge location.
"It was a great tournament that everyone enjoyed, and Team PokerRoom.com was able to support a worthy cause in the process that benefited the YouthAIDS organization," said Cademartori. "Plus we had a great ending that no one could have predicted. Tunney could be a good player, and she was enthusiastic about her win. We look forward to seeing her play at the 'World Series of Poker' with the rest of the team. Poker takes skill and determination, and players need to continuously improve both of those areas to be successful."
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