PokerStars players hit Hollywood

For most people, getting to walk the red carpet at a Hollywood premiere is something that they'll only see on TV. For four PokerStars players, it became a reality at the American premiere of "Ocean's Thirteen."

James Bryce, Larry Fisher, Fred Halling, and Po Han were the winners among the hundreds of players who played in PokerStars Ocean's Thirteen Darfur Charity tournaments. PokerStars matched the tournaments' buy-ins and re-buys and added those to its $1 million donation to Not On Our Watch, a charity formed by the cast members and producer of the film to aid the suffering in Darfur. Just a couple of weeks before, four other players had won tournaments to attend the film's premiere in Cannes.



As the top four players in their Ocean's Thirteen charity tournament, Bryce, Fisher, Halling, Han, and their guests were treated to a night on the town in Hollywood with Isabelle Mercier and Vanessa Rousso. The night began with cocktails hors d'ouveres at the Sofitel hotel. Soon, they found themselves in a stretch Hummer H3 limo which carted them off to Hollywood Boulevard. They arrived to find the street closed for the premiere and a block-long red carpet leading to Grauman's Chinese Theater. Thousands of fans peered down from risers across the street while paparazzi snapped photos.





Once outside under the lights, the PokerStars winners saw many of the film's stars, got to walk the red carpet, and watch the premiere of the film. Later, the group headed off to party where they saw Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, George Clooney, Ellen Barkin, Don Cheadle, Shaobo Qin, Eddie Jemison, and Casey Affleck.



It was a night the group will not soon forget. Winner Larry Fisher said, "I think any event that benefits charity is a good thing, and then to have such wonderful prizes for the winners tops it off. It's also great that more than one person can win such an event, as it probably wouldn't have been as much fun without all the others that went."

Congratulations to the winners of the event and thanks to all the people who supported the charity tournaments to aid Darfur.