Friday, May 22, 2009

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888.com, Shane Warne announce Poker Ashes 2009

Only the luckiest 888.com players will be flogged by Shane Warne.

By PokerListings.com

Four lucky 888.com players will join cricket legends Shane Warne and Darren Gough in competing for the Poker Ashes 2009 in England this summer.

The tournament pits teams from England and Australia against each other in a series of five "test matches" of No Limit Hold'em poker and will be filmed for Sky Sports in England in June.

Legendary bowler Warne will captain the Aussies and Gough, the former Yorkshire captain, will head up the English side.

The winning team will win a $50,000 USD charitable donation to the charity of its choice - either the Shane Warne Foundation (Australia) or the Professional Cricket Association (England).

"Aussies don't like to be beaten by the Poms - whatever the sport," Warne said. "And I can tell you that Darren Gough and his English Poker Ashes team will face a stern test from our boys.

"We are taking this very seriously. I'm getting the best players from the Aussie changing rooms and you Poms are set for an absolute flogging."

While four of each team's six available seats will be filled by professional cricketers, 888.com is offering its players the chance to win one of the two remaining seats via online satellite.

Aussie hopefuls can qualify for their satellite final by winning either the daily freeroll (held Monday to Sunday at 8 p.m. AEST) or the daily $5 USD Poker Ashes satellite (8:45 p.m. AEST).

The Australian satellite final will be held on June 7 at 8 p.m. AEST.

Their counterparts in England can qualify for their satellite final by taking down a weekly freeroll to be held Thursdays at 8 p.m. BST or by winning one a $1 USD satellite to be held Saturday through Wednesday at 8 p.m. BST.

The English satellite final will be held on June 7 at 8 p.m. BST.

Qualifiers will receive entry into the Poker Ashes, travel and accommodation expenses, $1,000 USD spending money and a swag bag of autographed cricket memorabilia.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, get more info at 888.com.

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