Home / Poker News August 2009 / Poker meets MMA: Randy Couture playing for charity
Poker meets MMA: Randy Couture playing for charity
Posted by: James Carter. - Mon, 2009-08-10 14:28
MMA star Randy Couture is making the move from the squared circle to the green felt. He’ll first play in a charity tournament named Operation All-in, then in the Sports Legends Challenge.
Known for making minced meat out of his opponents in the cage, Couture will now put his knockout skills to the test to raise funds for the U.S. military veterans, through his Extreme GI Foundation.
The event will take place in the Golden Nugget, in the Grand Events center to be exact and it will feature a gathering of celebrities, while remaining open to the public. The center piece of the event will be a charity poker tournament, but auctions and autograph sessions will also take place with the aim to raise funds for the veterans.
Couture’s first brush with poker came at another charity event, at the Hard Rock, organized by his aforementioned foundation, with the same goal of raising money for ex military personnel. That event was emceed by Jamie Gold and it turned out to be a huge success, one that saw Couture himself finish close to the final table, eventually knocked out by Frank Trig who then proceeded to finish in third place.
Couture admits he’s not exactly a top notch poker player. He likes to get aggressive early on and then has to risk it all time and time again just to stay in the game. Sure enough, that tactic worked fine for him at the Hard Rock charity game where, prior to his elimination, he shoved all in three times and got away with it.
Building on the success of the first “Operation All-in” Couture hopes that the second event will be an even bigger success. With the cast bellying up to the tables, the fun factor is basically guaranteed and the knowledge that the money is destined for such a noble cause will make things even more entertaining.
Couture’s fellow MMA fighters will have a strong representation, through the likes of Dan Henderson, Frank Trig, Phil Baroni and Stephan Bonnar.
The list of professional poker players set to attend includes David Williams, Chip Jett, Lee Watkinson, Todd Brunson and Adam Schoenfeld.
Couture explains his dedication for providing financial help for military veterans through the time he spent in uniform himself. As a member of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, he experienced first hand the courage, dedication and sacrifice required of these people on an everyday basis.
Couture’s second poker trial of fire will take place at the Sports Legends Challenge where, together with long time rival Chuck Liddell, he’ll represent Mixed Martial Arts. Taking place in the Bahamas in September, the Sports Legends Challenge features a variety of different events and sports legends, like Sugar Ray Leonard, Jim Brown and Jerry West.
