Smart marketers associate the product with glamorous high profile
sports favored by their target audience, and this week the US promotional
vehicle for Party Poker, the Party Poker.net initiative, was right
up there with the best of them.
The company is making non-industry headlines with its involvement
in five thrilling "PartyPoker.net Big ThrowDown” qualifying
rounds featuring snowboard, skateboard, wakeboard, FMX and BMX stars,
competing in a Texas Hold ‘em poker tournament at the Bank of
the West Beach Games in Huntington Beach.
World-class surfers Benji Weatherley, Pat O'Connell, Fred Patacchia,
Bobby Martinez, Shaun Ward and Timmy Reyes will battle in a “Poker
School” for the final chair at the Grand Finale.
Three of five qualifying rounds have already been held with wakeboarder
Josh Sanders, snowboarder Danny Kass and BMXer Dennis McCoy overcoming
their peers and hoisting the "PartyPoker.net Big Throwdown Champion's
Belt" over their heads in triumph! Skate and FMX star events
will take place this weekend.
The tournament’s first qualifier was held along the water on
Lake Okanogan where spectators had a front row seat to watch and cheer
on the athletes. Strategy took a backseat to luck as Josh Sanders
claimed victory. At Mt. Hood, the players were a lot more talkative
with each other and poked fun at the wake boarders.
The battle for the BMX poker title in the Partypoker.net Big Throwdown
came down to the two most seasoned poker players, the Grandfather
of BMX Dennis McCoy and one of the sports stand-out stars Van Homan.
After fifteen minutes of back and forth play, with the blinds at 600
/ 1200, Homan picked up king/three of diamonds in the small blind
and decided to take a stand.
Unfortunately for Van, McCoy had picked up a pair of sixes and with
a sizeable chip lead made the call instantly. The pocket sixes held
up for Dennis and he added another title to his collection, the BMX
Champion of the Partypoker.net Big Throwdown.
The championship will include the six winning action sport stars from
their respective qualifying events to play for bragging rights and
fun at the first annual Big ThrowDown.
PartyPoker.net spokesman Warren Lush said: “We’re
very pleased to be involved with this brand new concept. These guys
and girls are used to taking it to the limit but we’ll soon
find out if they are any good at no limit.”
The PartyPoker.net bank provides $2,500 in chips for the qualifying
events and $5,000 for the championship rounds. Seating is random draw.
Each of the six qualifying events will be featured in 12-minute vignettes
on “FUSION TV” airing in Q3 (July – September) and
Q4 (October – December) 2006 on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN).
Each show will focus on one qualifying event and will include highlights
of that event along with footage/interviews of each of the six competitors.
The championship round/finale will be made into a one-hour special
to air preceding the airing of the six features during the 4th quarter
of 2006 on FUSION TV. Full detail is at Party Poker Big Throwdown.net.