It’s ladies’ night at the 2006 World Series of Poker as ELLE magazine heads to Las Vegas with an all-star poker team to raise funds for the American Heart Association. The ELLE “Queens of Heart” team is captained by last year’s WSOP champion Jennifer Tilly (pictured), who is joined by actress Shannon Elizabeth and some of the country’s top female players.

Sponsored by PartyPoker.net and ELLE, the “Queens of Heart” will be playing for the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women campaign. The team hopes to increase awareness of heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women and will donate a percentage of any winnings to the cause, which will be matched by the team sponsors up to $5,000 each.

The Ladies Event is scheduled for July 9-10, 2006, at the Harrah’s Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and has seen a significant increase in popularity in recent years. The 2005 event had three times as many women players as 2004, and it is expected that 2006 will be the biggest year yet.

The “Queens of Heart” team will consist of Jennifer Tilly, along with co-captain Lisa Tenner (president of Tenner and Associates, a leading figure in the world of music management, branding and marketing), Shannon Elizabeth (actress), Anne Spinetti (poker pro), Kristy Gazes (poker pro), Alison Worth (model, actress, European pro player), Susan Genard (producer/director of Taking a Shot), Lori Sale (head of global branded entertainment at ICM), Allyn Jaffrey Shulman (corporate counsel for Card Player Media), Hillary Kerr (ELLE), Karina Jett (poker pro), Maureen Feduniak (poker pro), Linda Johnson (current State of California Ladies Champion), Jan Fisher (poker pro), Jennifer Leigh (poker pro), Wendeen Eolis (moonlighting poker pro), Katie Porrello (actress, aspiring poker pro and former poker dealer), Leslie Eichner (real estate developer), and Irina Cornides (Austrian poker pro).

Commenting on the event, team captain Jennifer Tilly said, “I was thrilled to win the Ladies Event at the WSOP 2005 and as such, I am pleased to help bring awareness to a disease that affects so many women globally. Now when I play on the “Queens of Heart” team to support the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement for this year’s ladies event, it will mean so much more to me personally.”

“Heart disease is the number one killer of women in America, but we have the power to change this if women take action now to protect their health,” said co-captain Lisa Tenner. “Since 2003, The American Heart Association has fostered the Go Red For Women campaign to inspire women to love their hearts, but the battle is not nearly won. Out of all the worthy causes in the world, this is the one that resonated most with our team and particularly with me as my father died from this disease.”

Carol Smith, ELLE senior VP/group publisher, said, “Poker requires luck, strategy, style-and brains to spare. I’m sure that ELLE will bring them all to Las Vegas next month, when the “Queens of Heart” arrive at the World Series of Poker. We have an amazing team, and we thank all the players for coming out to support the fight against heart disease in women. With their help, we’ll all be winners.”

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