COMMERCE, California -- (PRESS RELEASE) - For any woman who has ever dreamed of a seat in a World Poker Tour (WPT) event, Commerce Casino has a "can't miss" opportunity on Saturday, Feb. 3 -- the Los Angeles Poker Classic Ladies No Limit Hold'Em Tournament. The winner will get both a spot in the WPT Celebrity Invitational from March 3-5 and a seat in the WPT World Championship in April. That's a chance at two for the price of one $1,060-buy-in!

Participants may have a difficult time deciding which event is more exciting: a $25,000 seat in the WPT World Championship at the Bellagio in Las Vegas -- which features poker's elite and where last year female poker pro Vanessa Rousso took home $263,265 for her 7th place finish; or the hottest ticket in poker, the WPT Celebrity Invitational, where the top players ante up with Hollywood's poker-passionate celebrities. Players in previous years have included James Woods, Ray Romano, Jason Alexander, Don Cheadle, Ron Livingston, Mimi Rogers, Ed Asner, Jennifer Tilly, Jon Favreau, Stephen Collins, Anne Heche, Sharon Lawrence, David Sutcliff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Norm McDonald, Dean Cain, Camryn Manheim, Sara Rue, Richard Karn, Willie Garson, Cheryl Hines, Kathy Griffin, Shannon Elizabeth and Lolita Davidovich. Commerce Casino Ladies' Tourney winner is guaranteed at least one celebrity at her table!

"We've gone all out this year," said Cheri Dokken, Tournament Director. "The L.A. Poker Classic will have 31 events this year, but only one that offers these two giant prizes-and it's just for our Ladies' Tournament winner. Women are rising in the poker ranks at lightening speed-both in numbers and winnings and we want to make sure this is one of the premier events on the women's poker calendar."

The $25,000 WPT World Championship entry fee will come out of the prize pool from the women's tourney, but there will be plenty of cash left over to add to the victor's haul.

The Ladies Event is part of Commerce Casino's annual L.A. Poker Classic, Jan. 25-March 5. The world's largest poker room will host its six weeks of non-stop poker action with 31 different tournaments, culminating in the $10,000-buy-in WPT championship event Saturday, Feb. 24. Commerce Casino will guarantee $2 million to the first place winner of the L.A. Poker Classic Championship event and $1 million to the runner-up. A complete schedule can be viewed on the Commerce Casino website, www.commercecasino.com .

Following on the heels of that event is the fourth annual WPT Celebrity Invitational from March 3-5, which is only open to invited guests and poker players who have already completed early buy-in for the WPT World Championship in April. The $200,000 prize pool is compliments of Commerce Casino.

The Los Angeles Poker Classic Ladies No Limit Hold'Em Tournament at Commerce Casino will begin at 3:30pm on Saturday Feb. 3. Players may register on site. For more information, go to www.commercecasino.com .

Commerce Casino

Commerce Casino is the largest poker casino in the world. There are more than 200 poker tables featuring just about every form of poker: Texas Hold'Em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha, Lowball, Pot Limit, Mexican Poker, Pineapple, Draw, Low-Ball and many others. Also offered are Pan and California games. Commerce Casino is located at 6131 East Telegraph Rd., Commerce, CA 90040, just off the Santa Ana (5) Freeway at the Washington Blvd. exit. The phone is (323) 721-2100.