PokerStars is bringing their case for regulated California online poker directly to the people the Golden State with a star-studded promotional poker tour. The eight-stop tour will hit a variety of California poker rooms and will pit Texas Hold ‘Em all stars against local players.
Among the poker greats participating in the tour, which begins July 17 at the Palomar Card Club in San Diego, are Daniel Negreanu, Chris Moneymaker, Vanessa Selbst, Jason Somerville and Liv Boeree. (Only two pros will be participating at each of the tour’s seven stops.
Besides their duties playing cards, the poker stars will be pushing local players to sign pro-online poker petitions and learn more about regulated gaming under the auspices of a newly formed group called, CaliforniansforiPoker.
The tour and site are a joint operation between several stakeholders in the California online poker fight including: the Morongo Band of Mission Indians; San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Hawaiian Gardens Casino; Commerce Casino; Bicycle Casino; and Amaya Inc.
At the Palomor Card Club, manager Nick Salem told Gambling911.com that his casino is pumped to be a stop on the tour:
We are thrilled to be the first stop of the PokerStars Pro Tour. We anticipate a packed cardroom and we’ve heard from our players who are excited to test their skills against Jason Somerville and Liv Boeree. Long term we want to see online poker authorized in California to raise the profile of poker and build a new generation of poker players that will help land based poker rooms thrive.
The tour begins on July 17 and runs through August 9. (Check the Californians4ipoker.com for a full list of tour stops.)