Today partypoker launched a celebrity poker challenge in a bid to prove that anyone can learn to play and enjoy poker, with four famous faces putting their skills and reputations to the test. Actress Jorgie Porter, former Superbike champion Carl ‘Foggy' Fogarty, model and presenter Melinda Messenger, and professional footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa aka ‘The Beast' were united by leading online gaming site, to launch The partypoker Big Bluff.
Over the next few months, the four celebrities, who have never played poker before, will undergo a crash course, culminating in a live final table where the celebrities will be playing for a chance to win money for their chosen charity. Professional poker player Simon Trumper, boxing legend Carl Froch and a specialist sport psychologist will put the quartet through a series of masterclasses and teach them all they need to know about the game, from a basic how to play guide right up to in-depth psychology.
Once bootcamp is complete it's time for the £5,000 Grand Final at the Amex Stadium, home to Premier League hopefuls Brighton & Hove Albion. The celebrities will lock horns and let the chips fly until only one player is left standing and crowned The partypoker Big Bluff Champion - winning a share of £5,000 for their chosen charity. The event will be hosted on July 24th alongside the partypoker Grand Prix Poker Tour and fans can win a place at the final table to play alongside the celebrities by visiting www.partypoker.com/BigBluff. You'll also be able to follow the celebrities' progress as they undertake their poker journey.
Actress, Jorgie quoted: ‘I'm super excited to be part of partypoker's Big Bluff campaign. I've always wanted to learn how to play poker and I can't wait to get started. The competition is sure to be intense but I want to win it for the girls. Bring it on!'
Foggy said: ‘I have never really been that into card games and think I have only ever played snap before! But if I set my mind to something I usually do pretty well - and I will be using the famous Foggy eyes to psyche out my opponents to try and win that money for the NSPCC.'
AFC Wimbledon footballer, Adebayo Akinfenwa said: ‘I absolutely hate losing and this will be no different - I'm a complete novice when it comes to poker but I hope to pick up a few tips quickly so that I'm ready for the final high stakes poker match.'
Model, Melinda Messenger said: ‘I'm so excited to have been invited to this competition! I love anything competitive, let's see if I can find my poker face for the partypoker Big Bluff title! I'm thoroughly looking forward to being in the room with the other guys!'
Group Head of partypoker Tom Waters said: ‘We're very excited to welcome our celebs to take part in The partypoker Big Bluff. Once they have been through the poker school onpartypoker.com, there are plenty of ways for them to practise their new skills online. They could start with a fast paced game like Sit & Go Hero that is perfect for beginners, before building themselves up to play some of the bigger multi table tournaments that carry the juicy prize pools! This experience, when paired with plenty of advice from our mentors, should be more than enough to prepare our celebs them for The partypoker Big Bluff final!'
partypoker have hosted the Grand Prix Poker Tour since November last year, travelling to several major UK football stadiums for some live poker action. Grand Prix Poker Tour has already visited the homes of Chelsea FC, Stamford Bridge, Manchester United, Old Trafford, Newcastle United, St James Park and Leeds United, Elland Road. The remaining Grand Prix Poker Tour stops are in Glasgow and Cardiff with the grand finale in Brighton at the Amex where The Big Bluff will culminate.
To keep up to date with the celebrities poker journey please follow:
#BigBluff
@partypoker
@misJORGIEPORTER
@CarlFogarty
@MelindaMessenger
@daRealAkinfenwa
