PokerStars, Ocean’s Thirteen Cast Team Up for Darfur Relief

Online poker room PokerStars.com has teamed up with the cast and producer of the upcoming movie Ocean’s Thirteen to help ease the suffering in the embattled Darfur region of the Sudan.  Estimates place the number of deaths in the war-torn region since 2003 at over 400,000 and more than 2 million innocent people have fled to refugee camps.   

On May 22, PokerStars will be presenting a $1 million check to Not On Our Watch, a charity formed by the Ocean’s Thirteen stars to bring attention to the Darfur situation.  The film will be premiered at the Cannes Film Festival two days later. 

PokerStars will also be matching the prize pool of two special tournaments to benefit the charity.  The first, which unfortunately has already passed, awarded a trip the Cannes Film Festival.  It is not too late to compete in the second event, however.  The $10 buy-in re-buy tournament will be held on May 27 at 3:30pm EST.  The top four finishers will receive pairs of tickets to the film’s U.S. premiere in Los Angeles on June 5.  Included in the prize package are hotel accommodations and $2,000 for travel expenses.  The top eighteen finishers will all receive the Ocean’s Thirteen DVD, signed by the stars of the movie, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Don Cheadle. 

A third tournament (date TBA) will also be held, with the winner receiving a poker table baize signed by the cast of the movie. 

PokerStars players may also donate to Not On Our Watch directly by transferring funds from within the PokerStars client to the user ID “NOOW”.  All donations will be matched by PokerStars.

Originally published 12:53 AM Wednesday, May 16, 2007