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All Rights Reserved.
PR Newswire US

January 13, 2005 Thursday

HEADLINE: Second Annual PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Awards More Than $3.4 Million in Prize Money; Online Poker Site Raises Over $400,000 for Tsunami Relief

DATELINE: PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas Jan. 13

BODY:

   While the cold of winter was setting in across North America, the poker action was heating up this week in the Bahamas as 461 players competed for more than $3.4 million in prize money in the second annual PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

   John Gale, an amateur poker player from England, qualified through a $27 satellite tournament on PokerStars.com, and emerged victorious taking home $865,000 and a seat in the World Poker Tour season-ending series championship finals in April 2005.

   Three of the six players who survived to the tournament's final table qualified through satellites on PokerStars.com. The 461 participants in this year's $8,000 No Limit Texas Hold 'em event marks more than double the 219 players from last year's inaugural PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

   "The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure demonstrates the tremendous growth of the game of poker online and around the world," said Lee Jones, PokerStars Cardroom Manager. "Players from PokerStars are able to compete and win against the best in the world."

   Gale outlasted many of the world's top poker professionals including: 2004 World Series of Poker Champion Greg Raymer; 2003 World Series of Poker Champion Chris Moneymaker; 2004 World Poker Tour Ladies Night Champion Isabelle Mercier; 2004 World Series of Poker Runner-Up David Williams, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, John Juanda and many others.

   PokerStars transformed the ballroom of the Atlantis into one of the world's largest poker rooms for the tournament, hosting the first live poker play in the history of the Bahamas. Throughout the week players enjoyed luxurious accommodations while taking part in a variety of poker events. Coverage of the tournament's final table will be shown later this year on The Travel Channel as part of the network's hit show -- the World Poker Tour.

   PokerStars.com also raised more than $200,000 in player donations for the tsunami relief effort. The money was raised on the poker website and at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure tournament at Atlantis. Many players were eager to donate to the relief effort. PokerStars agreed to match the contributions dollar for dollar, making the total charitable donation over $400,000 -- one of the largest single donations ever given by any poker entity to any charity in history. The check presentation from PokerStars to the relief effort is due to be announced and will take place soon.

   About PokerStars

   PokerStars ( http://www.pokerstars.com/ ), an official member of the World Poker Tour, is the world's most innovative online poker site. PokerStars was the first site to introduce advanced multi-table tournaments, integrated game statistics, players' notes, personalized images, time bank for tournaments and ring big bet games, satellite tournaments, multi-table sit and go tournaments, and much more. PokerStars' support team is truly unique, as help and support is available around the clock from people who know and understand both the game of poker, and the importance of impeccable customer service.

   To date, PokerStars has dealt more than one billion hands and run more than four million poker tournaments. PokerStars utilizes industry-leading security software to ensure the integrity of the system, including encryption, card shuffle randomness and preventative measures against cheating and collusion.
Money covering player's balances is held in segregated accounts managed by the Royal Bank of Scotland, ensuring PokerStars can fulfill its obligations towards players at all times.

   PokerStars is the site where the 2003 and 2004 World Champions of Poker won their entries into the World Series of Poker, thus earning the trademark -- "Where poker players become World Champions."

      For more information, please contact:
    Nolan Dalla -- Director of Communications, PokerStars.com at:

nolan@pokerstars.com

    Michele Sturdivant:
Michele.sturdivant@edelman.com
 , 323/202-1022, or,
    Devin Parr:
Devin.parr@edelman.com
 , 323/202-1072

   CONTACT: Nolan Dalla, Director of Communications of PokerStars.com, nolan@pokerstars.com ; or Michele Sturdivant, +1-323-202-1022, Michele.sturdivant@edelman.com , or Devin Parr, +1-323-202-1072, Devin.parr@edelman.com , both for PokerStars.com

   Web site: http://www.pokerstars.com/

   SOURCE PokerStars.com

URL: http://www.prnewswire.com

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