The charity event features Hellmuth, Williamson, other poker pros and celebrities. The $2,500 buy-in tournament kicks off with a reception at 7 p.m., with the cards in the air at 8:30 p.m. Players can rebuy until the first break, at which time an add-on will be available.

Proceeds from the tournament will benefit charities such as the international
Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre, which aids victims of floods and droughts, as well as the Health and Climate Foundation, an organization that works to eradicate malaria epidemics and other fatal diseases worldwide. What’s more, a portion of the proceeds will go to the Robby Albarado Foundation, a nonprofit that helps the homeless and financially less fortunate. The charities that will benefit are based in Louisville, KY and Africa.

Fifty percent of the buy-ins, rebuys and add-ons will go to the charities, while the other half will go to the player prize pool.

In what is sure to be a sight to behold, Hellmuth, an 11-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, will simultaneously play in and emcee the tournament. Williamson, a WSOP bracelet winner in Omaha, also will play.

“I’m really excited to be co-hosting this event with Robert Williamson III and to be supporting such an important cause,” Hellmuth said. “The climate is changing and the poor will be the hardest hit. Anything we can do to raise awareness of this issue and help save lives is important.”

For more information on the tournament or for those interested in donating to the charities, visit kentuckyderbypokerchampionship.org. Caesars Indiana is a short drive north or Louisville, Ky. The casino is running numerous satellites and freerolls for the Kentucky Derby Poker Championship throughout March and April. For more information, visit caesarsindiana.com.

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Indiana students who enjoy freerolls should check out indysharks.com for info on great Indiana games. While many of these tournaments are free to the public, some do have age-21 minimums, while a few others also include a cover charge. Just make sure to double-check the web site before heading out. Students on the Indianapolis campus should also check out deadmoneyinc.com for a list of local, free tournaments located around the city. You won’t want to miss out on the Monday and Tuesday free tournaments at Main Events, nor the Wednesday and Thursday free tournaments at Rookies. Both of these bars are great venues to enjoy the game, enjoy a few drinks, and socialize with a good group of friends. But just like before, make sure to call in advance and get the specifics before you make the drive.

Students looking to invest a little bit more than just their time also have plenty of options available to them on and off campus. Some of these games are invite-only, so it certainly helps if you can make friends. Students will be hard-pressed to find any real high-stakes action happening around the campus itself, but if looking for just a good night out with friends, and a cheap and affordable way to enjoy the game, any of the eight campuses will do.

If all these options simply aren’t enough, or if you’re looking to pad your bankroll with high-stakes casino action, the state of Indiana has plenty of options to suit your style. While the Argosy, Majestic Star and Blue Chip casinos are all viable options to students looking to run to the tables, many students claim that Caesars Indiana has the best poker room around. Caesars Indiana may be quite a drive from campus, but it is certainly well worth it. Its 33 tables offer games including hold’em, stud, and Omaha, and students will find many games to their liking. Limit hold’em choices range from $2/4 to $20/40, while stud starts at $2/10 and goes up to $40/80. Omaha starts at $5/10 pot-limit, while NL hold’em has the standard $200 mininum buy-in for $2/5, or $100 minimum for $1/2 stakes. Both stud and hold’em feature a bad-beat jackpot as well. The poker room also boasts daily poker satellites from 11AM until 11PM, and rebuy tournaments on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, with buy-ins ranging from $20 to $85. On Sundays, Caesars runs a regular 3PM tournament with a buy-in of $60 and an optional $5 add-on.

Although the spring semester has just started at the University of Indiana, students have plenty of poker to look forward to for the next four months. Whether it’s the occasional campus-based free-poker tournament or a regular cash game on or near campus, students at the University of Indiana will surely enjoy the game in the months ahead.

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