Poker fanatics will try to set a world record while they raise money for a local charity next month at the third annual 3G Expo in Denver.
Expo organizers hope the Texas Hold’em tournament on Nov. 12 will draw 2,500 players, breaking the Guinness Book of Records mark for a one-day charity tournament, said Jon Borcherding, senior account manager for Clear Channel Communications.
The event will be held at the Colorado Convention Center, and players will be charged a $75 entry fee.
Proceeds from “Hold’em for Hope” will go to Sean’s Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families fight pediatric cancer.
The Denver-based nonprofit was launched by Dani McCauley, whose son Sean was diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor five years ago.
Although disabled, Sean is alive and well after 11 surgeries and years of treatment.
“I realized that there really wasn’t such a thing as false hope,” Dani McCauley said. “Hope got me out of bed every day.”
She had planned to hold a charity tournament last year, but the event was cancelled after she was told it would violate state gambling laws.
The legality of poker tournaments remains murky, with the Colorado attorney general’s office and the Division of Gaming disagreeing over whether events held at local bars and restaurants violate state statutes.
As a result, the tournament’s top finisher will win bragging rights and nothing else.
The 3G Expo – which stands for gears, games and gadgets – will be held Nov. 11 and 12. The free event features interactive games and displays, such as a 27,000-gallon scuba tank, rock- climbing wall and video games.
Staff writer Andy Vuong can be reached at 303-820-1209 or avuong@denverpost.com.
