The 12th annual Ante4Autism poker tournament held on the eve of the Winter Las Vegas Market in January at the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas, announced a haul of more than $142,000. The beneficiaries are five autism spectrum disorder charities and institutes: Autism Speaks, National Autism Association of Southeast Ohio, Oakstone Academy, Willow Farms (established by STEPS Academy); and Project FOCUS (Forming Occupational and Community Understanding for Success) at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.
The event’s Apollo Jett Grand Champion was Las Vegas resident Aaron Page.
At the start of the night, event founder Doug Krinsky, who is an independent sales representative for Brooklyn Bedding, acted as emcee, with the assistance of co-organizer and co-host, professional poker player Karina Jett. They presented awards to sponsors and invited special guest, the singer and actress Pia Zadora, to say a few words to open the tournament.
In addition to a silent auction of sports memorabilia, the night included a live auction of two vacation trips, a custom poker table and a golf foursome with Major League Baseball’s Jose Canseco, who also played in the tournament.
For more details, including the names of industry sponsors, plenty of photos from the tournament and plans for next year’s Ante4Autism, which the hosts hope will be its biggest yet, check the Ante4Autism.com website.
