marketwire.com 08/06/2006

June 08, 2006 11:58 ET

Robin Tunney Wins PokerRoom.com Celebrity Poker Showdown at Hollywood Style Lounge


LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- June 8, 2006 -- 
Robin Tunney, who plays attorney Veronica Donovan on the hit show "Prison Break," was the last person standing after Thursday night's PokerRoom.com celebrity poker showdown held at a $15 million mansion in Hollywood Hills in anticipation of the upcoming MTV Movie Awards. Tunney won the tournament beating out Amanda Columbus for the grand prize package valued at approximately $50,000, plus a spot on Team PokerRoom.com for the upcoming "World Series of Poker" main event in July. 
The invite-only poker tournament sponsored by PokerRoom.com was held at a posh home in the Hollywood Hills in conjunction with Kari Feinstein's Style Lounge and famed LA night club, ViperRoom, to benefit YouthAIDS, a non-profit organization that works to educate and protect young people from HIV/AIDS. 
At approximately 12:30 a.m. on Friday, Tunney and Amanda Columbus, a friend of Shannon Elizabeth, were even in chips after a second hand of heads up. The final hand started with a raise and call in the pre-flop. The pre-flop came King, Jack, Four -- unsuited. Columbus pushed all-in and Tunney called with bottom pair Nine, Four. Columbus held Queen, Six. The turn came Jack and river Ace with Tunney on top to end the PokerRoom.com tournament. She was excited and elated at having beaten several very good players. Celebrities and professional players -- including Chris Birchby, Shannon Elizabeth, Lukas Haas, Kelly Hu, Oliver Hudson, Sunny Mabrey, Andy Milonakis, Erik Palladino, Joe Reitman, Simon Rex, Johnathon Schaech, Jeremy Sisto, and Jennifer Tilly -- fared well throughout the tournament. 

"It was a great tournament that everyone enjoyed, and Team PokerRoom.com was able to support a worthy cause in the process that benefited the YouthAIDS organization," said Cademartori. "Plus we had a great ending that no one could have predicted. Tunney could be a good player, and she was enthusiastic about her win. We look forward to seeing her play at the 'World Series of Poker' with the rest of the team. Poker takes skill and determination, and players need to continuously improve both of those areas to be successful."

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