NEW YORK, March 17, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The poker craze continues to sweep the nation with the 2nd Annual College Poker Championship(TM) (www.collegepokerchampionship.com) declaring the world's best college No Limit Texas Hold'em poker player for 2005 in just eight weeks. Right now, students from around the world are battling for their share of the $135,000 prize pool.
The College Poker Championship (CPC) gives away $500 in scholarships each week to the top students playing in the Super Satellites. The tournament has already awarded more than 1,450 scholarships totaling $14,500. The ultimate prize is a $41,000 scholarship for the overall champion. The top ten finalists in the event will earn a $1000 donation to the charity of their choice.
CPC is a free online tournament available to registered college and university students worldwide. Graduate school and community college students are also eligible. Online Super Satellites for CPC are held every Sunday at 4:00 p.m. EST through May 8, 2005. Students can sign on anytime to play, learn and hone their skills for the Sunday tournaments. The online final will be played on Monday, May 22, 2005 at 4:00 p.m.
"Poker has long been one of the most popular games of skill on campus," said Lou Krieger, host of College Poker Championship. "As poker continues to blossom in our popular culture, we are throwing down the gauntlet to see who is the world's best collegiate poker player. It's not only a fun and charitable activity for students, it's also a wonderful tool for building decision making skills."
Additionally, traditional school rivalries are put to the test online at CPC's School Rivalry challenge. Students can move their school up the ranks by registering and playing in the CPC tournament. They can follow the competition with rival schools here: http://www.collegepokerchampionship.com/schools-leaderboard.asp
College Poker Championship awards scholarships and charitable donations that will allow students to further their academic endeavors:
-- The Champion will be awarded a $41,000 academic scholarship.
-- The CPC is donating $10,000 to charities. Contestants placing
from 1-10 will earn a $1,000 donation to be awarded to the
charity or organization of their choice.
-- Players placing 2-10 will share a $54,500 scholarship prize pool.
-- Players placing 11-80 will share a prize pool of $15,500 of
scholarship awards.
Players can register on www.collegepokerchampionship.com
About College Poker Championship
The 2nd Annual College Poker Championship(TM) is open exclusively to registered university college students worldwide to determine the "Best College No Limit Texas Hold 'em Poker Player in the World." Entry into the tournament is free of charge, with all events being played with tournament chips. No purchase is required from www.collegepokerchampionship.com. College Poker Championship(TM) supports students' educational endeavors with cash scholarships worth $135,000, donations to charities and champions the use of poker as a strategic learning tool.