Hold'em Poker+ for Prizes(TM) Mobile Mega Tournament Championship Underway

This week, Infospace and ThwartPoker Inc. launched the Hold’em Poker+ for Prizes(TM) Mobile Mega Tournament Championship, inviting players to compete through August 14 to win a trip to Las Vegas, along with dinner and poker with World Series of Poker bracelet winner, Robert Williamson III. One thing that makes this competition different from others is that it is played entirely on players’ wireless phones, so participants can play anywhere, anytime, with anyone in the world.

Hold’em Poker+ presents competitors with some interesting changes to the standard Texas Hold’em game to which most are accustomed. In this game, players are actually allowed to choose their cards. Rather than being dealt cards to start, the flop initiates play. Each player then chooses a card for his hand from the rest of the deck. The play proceeds for four rounds, with each player choosing cards in an attempt to make the best possible five-card hand. Sounds easy, sure, but there are some hurdles involved. First, everybody can see each other’s cards. Second, if a player selects a card that has already been used by another player or two players choose the same card at the same time, that card gets “blocked” and is not playable. Players do not get a chance to redraw after picking a blocked card. Thus, each player must pay attention to the hands being created around the table and adjust their strategies accordingly, even if it means veering away from their original hand.

Williamson, also host of the television show, Poker Royale, on GSN, is excited about the competition, and even plans to join in the fun.

"Hold’em Poker+ for Prizes is an exciting twist for America's most popular game, Texas Hold’em," he said. "I am proud to launch the Mobile Mega Tournament Championship and I look forward to playing with fans on my cell phone."

In addition to the grand prize, the Best Score Champion, Best Average Score Champion, and Best Ranking in Head-to-Head Champion, will all win Sony PSP’s. Other prizes include Amazon gift certificates, poker merchandise gift certificates, ALL-IN magazine subscriptions, and Williamson’s DVD, From the Kitchen Table to the Final Table.

All wireless carriers which carry Hold'em Poker+ For Prizes will host the competition.

Full details, including official rules, can be found at http://www.atlas-mobile.com/en/hppchamp.html.

Originally published May 19, 2005