ARF Texas Hold ‘Em No Limit Poker Tournament

In a city that is 99 percent about living beyond your means, taking all you can get and hopefully not going home with a big, fat zero where there used to be numbers in your bank account, the Athlete Recovery Fund took some of that excessive Las Vegas living and used it for a good cause. The Athlete Recovery Fund, or ARF provides medical assistance to those that have received major injuries in the sports that you witness at the Dew Tour.

 The Cooke brothers Allan & Aaron – Aaron, set up the Athlete Recovery Fund to help athletes with major injuries

“The goal tonight is to raise awareness and have a good time,” Aaron Cooke. “We want people to recognize the athlete recovery fund and remind them of what we do to support the athletes in the sports because it’s amazing how quick people forget. Stephen Murray’s injury brought a lot of awareness and people are already starting to forget that it can happen to anybody in our sport so its important to just keep them aware and have them help out.”

Daggers – 2010 X Games Big Air champ Jake Brown, his lady, the voice of Dew Tour Skateboarding, Dave Duncan and Ronnie

Daniel Dhers said “I don’t know how to play poker,” but he came by to support the cause none the less

On Thursday night ARF threw a celebrity no limit poker tournament in a private poker room in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Players included athletes, industry guests, the public, a few celebrities; Chumlee from Pawn Stars, Michael Cudlitz coming in, and professional poker duo from The Amazing Race Maria Ho and Tiffany Michele; so we were just there to have a good time and raise awareness and a little bit of money for ARF.

Profession poker player Maria Ho waiting for the turn… and the stoke of winning a hand

In addition to the poker tournament, ARF will be having an art auction.  The Hart & Huntington Art Auction includes artwork from the tattoo artists of H&H. There are Fender guitars and Plan B Skate decks all with additional art added to them for this special event to creat one of a kind pieces.

Top 5 from the poker tourney:
1. TJ Ellis
2. Jake Brown
3. Alyssa Hawley
4. Rob Darden
5. Mark Silvert