Strip Poker: Opportunity Village Event Raises $100K

In this "Strip Poker" series, Card Player covers the Las Vegas poker scene — on The Strip and around the city.

The Caesars Palace poker room overflowed with Las Vegas celebrities this weekend for the third-annual Opportunity Village Celebrity Poker Tournament, which successfully earned about $100,000 for the charity.

Celebs that attended included Carrot Top, Frankie and Joey Scinta, Earl Turner, Mystic Mona, Robin Leach, Kevin Burke, stars from Thunder From Down Under, the Fantasy girls, Skip Martin of Kool and the Gang, baseball legend Rollie Fingers, and comedian Bobby Slayton, who performs at the Hooters Casino.

“This is the third year we have done this for Opportunity Village, and it keeps growing as different celebrities and poker pros get involved,” said Special Events Manager Sheria Spleen. “It’s a lot of fun and for a really great cause.”

An estimated 200 players competed in the $500 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament with rebuys. Ronald Kornak won the first-place prize, which included a seat into the 2008 World Series of Poker main event, as well as $10,000 in cash.

For those who did not want to play the tournament, there was a special VIP reception and fashion presentation of the spring line from Escada inside PURE Nightclub. Entrance was granted for a $50 donation. All proceeds from the tournament, silent auction, and VIP reception benefited Opportunity Village, Nevada’s largest private, not-for-profit community rehabilitation program.

Founded in 1954, the organization now serves more than 3,000 people with intellectual disabilities each year through vocational training, community job placement, advocacy, and social recreation programs. For more information on Opportunity Village, or to make a donation, click here.

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