World Poker Exchange: Jennifer Tilly

ANTIGUA and LOS ANGELES, July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- World Poker Exchange announced today that two additional celebrity poker enthusiasts, Jennifer Tilly, winner of the 2005 World Series of Poker Women's Tournament (Seed of Chucky, Haunted Mansion), and John McCririck, (2005 Celebrity Big Brother) will join Mimi Rogers (Stone Cold), Willie Garson ("Sex and the City") and Nicholas Gonzalez ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") at the August 3-6, 2005 World Poker Exchange London Open. These representatives will be among an international array of glamorous film and television performers, musicians, athletes and world-renowned poker players who will compete aggressively for the $2 million jackpot in the first-of-its-kind lifestyle poker event: www.LondonOpen2005.com .

Recent winner of the World Series of Poker Ladies Event, poker celebrity Jennifer Tilly (pictured at right with boyfriend Phil "The Unabomber" Laak), will add the London Open as her next poker tournament tour stop. Tilly is known for her various roles in films, television and stage. She was nominated for a Best Actress in a supporting role in 1995 for Bullets Over Broadway and is also a familiar face in the horror genre as Tiffany on Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky.

Television horse racing pundit John McCririck has most recently appeared in the 2005 series of Celebrity Big Brother UK. A keen poker player with an insatiable appetite for bluffing, McCririck is also a racing journalist and Grandstand writer.

Among the other notable celebrities who previously announced their intention to play the World Poker Exchange London Open include actress Mimi Rogers who has recently appeared in films such as Stone Cold, Dancing in Twilight and The Door in the Floor. She is also credited with starring roles in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and "The X Files." Her appearance on "Celebrity Poker Showdown" brought down the house with her coy card-playing for The Dream Foundation.

Willie Garson, who has appeared in approximately 40 television series, is best known for his role as "Stanford Blatch" in HBO's long-running series, "Sex and the City." His acting credits include performances in Fever Pitch with Drew Barrymore, "CSI Miami," and "Monk." A regular at the tables, Garson has made numerous appearances on "Celebrity Blackjack" as well as "Celebrity Poker Showdown," where he plays for his charity, La Casa de las Madres.

Nicholas Gonzalez represents young Hollywood to a tee. America has seen him play Mischa Barton's love interest on "The O.C." Gonzalez has also appeared on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "That '70s Show," and "Walker, Texas Ranger." This year he played in "Celebrity Poker Showdown" for Friends of El Faro.

"The London Open is going to be an 'all in' experience unparalleled by any other poker tournament. These popular celebrities -- each accomplished players in their own right -- are expected to show their best poker faces as they compete against the game's very best. The London Open will be the place to be this August as participants hotly pursue the $2 million guaranteed pot on the River Thames," commented World Poker Exchange Managing Director Haden Ware.

"We will elevate both players' and viewers' expectations about what a world class poker tournament provides and will literally raise the bar for live poker tournaments in general," explains Ware.

The high stakes gaming event to be staged in London in the 19th Century Old Billingsgate Market will feature a $2 million guaranteed prize pool and distinctive cultural, entertainment and dining experiences. A pinnacle of the four-day style-heavy event will be a private concert, a separate charity tournament and VIP Reception featuring South London-based funky pop act Dirty Vegas, international chanteuse and "Queen of the Nightclub" Grace Jones, and celebrity club and party DJs Guy Preston and Jason Moore.

The London Open will be broadcast as a Bravo primetime TV special "World Poker Exchange London Open." Off-camera, the competitors will enjoy high-stakes fun as they partake in the private concert and VIP Reception. They will also be invited to take part in exclusive tours of Kensington Palace, gain backstage access to the hit show The Producers, and enjoy the most lavish of culinary experiences in London's finest restaurants, through 24/7 concierge services provided by Quintessentially.