Celebrity tournament takes NBA stars to the felt for charity

NBA stars like Michael Jordan, Charles Oakley, and Scotty Pippin will be rubbing elbows with several poker pros during the Trent Tucker Charity Poker Tournament Sept. 8 at the Canterbury Park Racetrack and Card Club in Shakopee, Minn., to raise money for the Trent Tucker Youth Program.

Poker pros scheduled to attend are Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan, Patrik Antonius, Liz Lieu, and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. Trent Tucker will play as well as Patrick Ewing, Paul Allen, and other NBA players.

With a $2,500 buy-in, first place in the tournament is expected to be $50,000. The buy-in covers a player's dinner for the evening.

There will also be super satellite tournaments with a $275 buy-in on Thursdays and Saturdays until Sept. 7 where people can try to win a spot in the celebrity tournament. Or if someone wants to go and watch, but not take part in the tournament, they can make reservations for groups of eight people for dinner and viewing for $2,500.

All proceeds will benefit the Trent Tucker Youth Program which helps at-risk youth in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota by providing after-school programs, monthly field trips, and more.

For more information about the tournament, visit www.trenttucker.org.