eBay convention includes charity poker event, WPT sponsored auction

The Professional eBay Seller Alliance (PeSA) will host a Charity Poker Challenge Thursday to benefit the New Orleans Aquarium and the NetSmartz Workshop during the eBay Live convention in Las Vegas.

Auction enthusiasts can also check out the charity auction sponsored by the World Poker Tour (WPT) to benefit the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai during the convention June 13 through 20.


The Charity Poker Challenge will include 100 top eBay sellers, eBay enthusiasts and third party vendors, and celebrity poker guests who will try their luck in a Texas Hold'em tournament at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.

PeSA's charity events are designed to let eBay's top sellers, third-party vendors and eBay staff interact in a relaxed and social setting while supporting a good cause. To liven things up this year, they invited celebrities such as Robert Thompson from Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown," Jeff Hobson, the renowned Las Vegas entertainer, and Alex "The Insider" Outhred, the syndicated poker columnist, to participate.

"PeSA excels at bringing eBay's top sellers together in creative and worthwhile ways, and this year's Charity Poker Challenge is shaping up to be another milestone event," said Steve Woda, founder of buySAFE, a corporate sponsor of the event.

According to David Yaskulka, PeSA's head of marketing, the charities were chosen for their connection to PeSA and the online community. One of PeSA's previous events took place at the New Orleans Aquarium two years ago. NetSmartz, a program run by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, was chosen for its work in teaching kids to be safe online.

The tournament isn't the only draw for poker fans to the eBay Live event. The WPT is one of the main sponsors of the event's charity auction this year. Plus, they've donated a $25,000 seat at the WPT Celebrity Invitational for the auction. The winning bidder will face off against pros and Hollywood celebrities for a chance at a share of $200,000 and the opportunity to become the next WPT Champion.

Other top auction items include a one-of-a-kind bike built by Count's Kustoms and artist Mike Godard, as well as two special edition Gibson guitars.



courtesy of Sarah Polson

News Added: 13 June, 2006

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