UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Sept. 23, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- College Poker Championship(tm) (www.collegepoker.com), the world's largest online college poker tournament, introduces its third annual competition today at Penn State University. The search is on for the world's best college poker players as College Poker Championship III launches with its largest prize package ever, including $200,000 in scholarships, $10,000 in charity donations and four brand new cars.
College Poker Championship is a free online tournament open to registered college and university students worldwide. With weekly Sunday night qualifying events now through May 7, 2006, the third annual event is the largest, fiercest collegiate Texas Hold'em, No Limit competition held to date. Students from around the world will battle for the coveted title and scholarship funds.
"Poker has exploded in popularity especially among college students," said Lou Krieger, host of College Poker Championship. "Each year, College Poker Championship allows thousands of students to practice and hone their poker skills in a safe and fun environment."
For the first time in the third annual tournament, College Poker Championship will be segmented into 10 conferences: North America (Canada, Northeast, Mid Atlantic, Midwest, South, Southwest and West), United Kingdom, Scandinavia and the rest of the world. Each Sunday at 6:00 p.m. EST, students will play to become part of the top five percent who will advance to their online conference semi-finals, and ultimately, the one person who will go on to represent their conference in the championship tournament where the remaining $135,000 will be on the line.
Students will also have the opportunity to compete against other schools within their conference and on a conference-to-conference basis by earning points in the Campus Rivalry Challenge. In the 2005 competition, Penn State outplayed 2,400 other schools and is now known as the campus with the strongest poker players and the one to beat in this year's rivalry.
Other new additions in the tournament include the Win-A-Car Points Challenge, which will award a brand new car or the cash equivalent to four lucky students every eight weeks throughout the competition. In North America, players will also have the opportunity to win a wild card entry into the North American Conference Final.
Look for Chad Flood, a junior at the University of Minnesota -- Twin Cities, to defend his title as the World's Best College Poker Player. Last year, Flood outplayed 25,000 students from 55 countries earning a $41,000 academic scholarship and a $1,000 donation to the American Diabetes Association.
"I'm already logged on and ready to play," said Flood. "The College Poker Championship has been a great experience for me in the last couple of years and the tournaments are a lot of fun. I look forward to defending my title."
About the College Poker Championship
The College Poker Championship(tm) (www.collegepoker.com) is open to registered college and university students worldwide to determine the World's Best College Poker Player. Entry into the tournament is free of charge, with all events being played with tournament chips. No purchase is required. College Poker Championship supports students' educational endeavors with scholarships worth $200,000, charity donations and champions the use of poker as a strategic learning tool.