HOLE IN ONE FOR FULL TILT POKER

2 May 2008

Online poker giant to sponsor World Series of Golf


Accessing a potentially significant audience of game-oriented golf players, the online poker operator Full Tilt Poker.com has signed up as the title sponsor of the Las Vegas-based sports and entertainment event World Series of Golf, billed as the "most innovative golf tournament format since the Skins Game."

The sponsorship partnership will yield a variety of strategic branding opportunities between the World Series of Golf and Full Tilt Poker, including multi-platform branding opportunities that span broadcast television, international print media and the Internet.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"The World Series of Golf is a sports and entertainment company with a global strategy that encompasses live events, television content and online enterprises," said Terry Leiweke, president and CEO of the World Series of Golf. "As we strategically grow our brand, the synergies that will result from our relationship with the leading virtual cardroom service will be mutually beneficial to both our companies."

Members of "Team Full Tilt," a select group of the world's finest professional poker players, will be well represented in this year's
tournament field with avid golfers and world-class poker players Phil Ivey, David Benyamine, Brandon Adams, David Grey, Allen Cunningham, David Oppenheim, Andy Bloch, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, and Erick Lindgren scheduled to participate in the World Series of Golf live event that will be played May 12 - 15 at Paiute Golf Resort in Las Vegas, NV.

Played in a patent-pending method of play, the World Series of Golf allows for high stakes to ride on each and every shot of the tournament.

Similar to poker, players must ante up before teeing off at each hole. Depending on the outcome of the tee shots, the player can then raise, call, check or fold on subsequent shots, with the winner of the hole collecting the pot. The result is a dramatic convergance of two exciting games, which every shot counts, and wagering strategy is just as important as skill.

When a player no longer has any chips to ante up, that player is eliminated. The winner of each group moves onto the next round until the final group yields the golfer who is crowned the champion of the World Series of Golf.

The 2007 inaugural event was hosted by the Mirage Hotel & Casino and aired on national television in June 2007 attracting a viewership of more than 2 million domestic viewers. The event included 60 amateur golfers with Mark Ewing, a 31-year-old day-trader from Newport Beach, CA, taking home the top prize of $250,000. Notable personalities playing in the inaugural tournament included poker stars Phil Ivey, Phil Gordon and Rhett Butler, former NFL quarterback Mark Dyle, and former major league baseball player, Dusty Allen.

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