PokerStars California Pro Tour Adds Three Stops

Raising awareness and support for online poker legislation in California has fallen on the shoulders of PokerStars, who have added a trio of tour stops to a schedule that will find PokerStars Team Pros appearing and competing at card clubs throughout California this summer.

The first tour stop is scheduled for today, July 17, at San Diego's Palomar Card Club where Liv Boeree and Jason Somerville will be on hand for a Meet and Greet, followed an hour later by exciting poker action versus other players on the cardroom's poker tables. Somerville and Boeree are two of a handful of Team Pros that Californians can rub elbows with over the course of 11 tour stops this month and next.

The other PokerStars Pros prepared to make appearances at additional cardrooms include Vanessa Selbst, Chris Moneymaker and Daniel Negreanu. The Let California Play! PokerStars Pro Tour has card clubs buzzing with excitement, not only for players to get a chance to meet the pros, but also because it may push the Golden State even closer to ipoker regulation, which continues to be hindered by bickering among stakeholders.

"As an operator, we really appreciate PokerStars efforts to raise awareness for online poker in California," said Kyle Kirkland, owner of the Club One Casino in Fresno that will be visited by Selbst and Negreanu on August 8. "Legalized online poker will introduce new players to the game, add legitimacy to the market and provide unique cross-promotional activities for cardrooms and the communities we support.”

Here is a list of the cardrooms and dates that PokerStars Team Pros will appear, including the pro players scheduled to to make themselves available. An asterisk before the cardroom indicates a newly added tour stop:

Friday July 17: Palomar Card Club, San Diego - Somerville and Boeree
Saturday July 18: Lake Elsinore Casino, Lake Elsinore - Negreanu and Somerville
Sunday, July 19: Seven Mile Casino, Chula Vista - Negreanu and Somerville
Saturday July 25: Napa Valley Casino, American Canyon - Negreanu and Moneymaker
Sunday July 26: *Lucky Chances Casino, Colma - Moneymaker and Somerville
Saturday Aug 1: *500 Club, Clovis - Somerville
Sunday Aug 2: Stones Gambling Hall, Citrus Heights - Moneymaker, Somerville and Boeree
Thursday Aug 6: The Aviator Casino, Delano - Negreanu
Friday Aug 7: Diamond Jim's Casino, Rosamond - Negreanu and Selbst
Saturday Aug 8: *Club One Casino, Fresno - Negreanu and Selbst
Sunday Aug 9: Turlock Poker Room, Turlock - Negreanu and Selbst

A hearing will likely be held sometime between August 17-31 on online poker legislation introduced by Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer. Hopefully, the goodwill extended by the PokerStars Team Pros during the tour will have an effect on the lawmakers who will be discussing the merits and details of AB 167.

Time is running out on online poker regulation approval in 2015. The California legislative session for this year will expire on September 11. California residents are encouraged to let their lawmakers know that ipoker regulation has many benefits, including additional tax dollars to the state and safety of funds for players.

To show your support, the PokerStars Coalition invites you to join Californians for Responsible iPoker at www.californians4ipoker.com.