One of the premier and exclusive annual pre-Super Bowl parties, hosted by legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg, will feature a poker tournament for the first time in the event’s 37-year history.
World Series of Poker (WSOP) champion Jamie Gold has been selected by Steinberg to emcee the poker festivities. PokerNews, along with many A-list celebrities and athletes, will be in attendance Feb. 10 at Ahern Hotel just behind the Las Vegas Strip. All proceeds from the poker tournament will go directly to the Special Olympics.
Playing Poker for Charity
Steinberg is one of the top sports agents in the US, and may or may not have been the basis for Jerry Maguire, a sports agent played by Tom Cruise in the 1996 box office hit, Jerry Maguire — rumor has it that he is.
For 36 years and counting, the Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party has been a fixture of Super Bowl weekend. Only those who are personally invited by Steinberg, mostly celebrities and superstar athletes, can attend.
With the Super Bowl taking place in Las Vegas this year, Steinberg wanted to incorporate a local theme. Hence, why there’s going to be a charity poker tournament, along with many other activities throughout the event. But not anyone can play in this poker game. Out of the 3,000 or so invited guests, 100 can enter the tournament.
Every poker table will have at least one celebrity, and it costs a $1,500 donation plus $500 rebuys to get in the game for those who are VIP guests. There will be many valuable prizes up for grabs, including a luxury suite admission at Allegiant Stadium.
Since prizes will be won, the host made sure to be compliant with the gaming commission and obtained the proper licenses. While individuals without a personal invite cannot attend, companies or professionals can make a $25,000 sponsorship contribution, which includes company branding at the table, nine spots for the sponsor’s guests in the poker game, a custom poker table signed by Gold and Steinberg, and a $15,000 tax deductible donation to the Special Olympics.
Gold, who won the 2006 WSOP Main Event for $12 million, will serve as the co-host and was personally chosen by Steinberg to emcee the event.
Steinberg chooses a different charity each year with the focus on brain health.
Who to Expect at the Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party
The party, which begins at 1 p.m. on Feb. 10, will have hundreds of celebrities in attendance. While the full list isn’t publicly available, we can give you an idea of the type of crowd that will be at Ahern Hotel based on previous years.
In the past, Steinberg has invited some of the biggest celebrities and superstar athletes in the world. The massive list of previous attendees has included Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, former President Bill Clinton, NFL legend Emmitt Smith, and award-winning actors such as Michael J. Fox, Paul Rudd, Mark Wahlberg, and Jon Hamm.
Mahomes, Steinberg’s client, is a likely attendee. Well, that is if the Chiefs lose on Sunday to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. Otherwise, he’ll be a bit preoccupied preparing for the Super Bowl.