Sports Star Poker

The dates are fixed for the PartyPoker.com Sports Stars Challenge in London from the 29th May – 1st June. Sports stars, both past and present, will take their seats in the hope of being crowned the ultimate sporting poker champion in the strongest and most international line-up to date. For the first time in the Matchroom Sport organised event’s history there will be heats for motorsport professionals, top golfers and an online qualifier element. The number of heats increases from six to seven, with seven handed heats and a seven handed final table.

The motorsport table will feature Italian F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella, while the golf heat will include both 2008 European Ryder Cup team member Graeme McDowell and Jean Van Der Velde (we know he loves water but is he a fish?). The international flavour permeates throughout the other heats. Football’s list of legends includes former Holland captain Frank De Boer, French World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf, Germany’s European Championship winner Thomas Helmer, Romania’s Florin Radiciou and Denmark and Liverpool legend Jan Molby.

The boxing tear-up on the felt features Germany’s former unbeaten World Champion Sven Ottke, Northern Ireland’s Commonwealth heavyweight and Prizefighter champion Martin Rogan and Poland’s female boxing champ Agnieska Rylik. The rugby heat will feature union’s former France and Wasps captain Raphael Ibanez and Australian league star Brad Drew, while darts sees living legend Phil Taylor lock horns with the likes of Russia’s ladies champ Anastasia Dobromyslova.

PartyPoker.com players had the chance to win a seat through a freeroll in the sports heat of their choice. The sports are football (two heats), rugby (union and league combined), motorsport, boxing, darts and golf. Two online qualifiers will join each heat.

A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “We offered freerolls to win a seat in the event on the site but the places were snapped up so quickly that we were loath to promote it too much to save the disappointment of players. This is a once in a lifetime experience for a select group to take to the felt with their sporting heroes. The overall line-up is the most diverse and international in the event’s history and more star participant names will be released in the near future.”

Eddie Hearn, Director of Matchroom Sport said: “This is the poker event that the sporting world looks forward too and we have some great international names and great poker players competing for the trophy, big prize money and the ultimate bragging rights. We’re particularly excited to introduce the online element and the motorsport and golf heats this year.”

The winner of Sports Stars Challenge I was former rugby union star Austin Healey, while the second instalment saw victory for Irish snooker champion Ken Doherty. Last year’s winner was television presenter Kara Scott, who used the tournament as the starting point for a breakthrough successful year on the circuit that also included big cashes at the WSOP Main Event and Irish Open. Scott won £20,000 after defeating Manchester United football legend Norman Whiteside heads-up. There is no presenter heat in the new format this year.

The winner of each of the seven heats will take their seat at the final table, where seven players will battle it out until one of them walks away with the title. Each player sits down with 2,000 chips with the heat winner getting £7,000. The overall winner receives £20,000 with second getting £10,000 and third receiving £5,000.