World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational Kick Off

Celebrities and poker pros are starting to take their seats at the World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational that is kicking off today,  There was a short day off to help celebrate Phil Ivey's victory in the World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic but now back to business as usual as today the World Poker Tour Invitational starts.

The WPT Invitational is one of the more laid back events on the Tour's schedule, this one is a freeroll tournament and has a $200,000 prize pool.  Winners also get a seat at the World Poker Tour Championship that will be divvied up among the final table.

This is it's fifth year and since the start there have been poker pros signing up to get in the action.  Layne Flack won the first tournament back in 2003 followed by Phil "the Unabomber" Laak in 2004.  The first winner that was a surprise was one of the Brenes brothers but not Humberto or Eric but it was Alex who took the tournament in 2005.

Charity is a major focus in the event, the last 10 celebrities still in play will receive a cash donation to the charity of their choice, courtesy of event sponsor Harbor Private Funds, LLC. Last year's winner Adam Weinraub showed his support to charities by donating the $100,000 that he won for taking first place to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation.