The PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas transformed into a spectacle of lights, cameras and open-bar drinks on Thursday as dozens of celebrities, athletes and content creators packed in for a night of poker action that served as the perfect kickoff for Super Bowl weekend in Sin City.
The Celebrity Poker Tour Invitational II consisted of a 73-entrant invite-only field and saw reality television star Princess Love coming out on top to win $20,000 and a custom engraved bottle of LOUIS XIII cognac alongside two engraved Baccarat crystal glasses.
Those in the mix at the second annual Celebrity Poker Tour Invitational included celebrities like Perez Hilton and Tana Mongeau, a Las Vegas influencer who went out in third for $5,000 before Atlanta Falcons fullback Keith Smith fell in second for $10,000.
Celebrity Poker Tour Invitational II Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princess Love | United States | $20,000 | |
| 2 | Keith Smith | United States | $10,000 | |
| 3 | Tana Mongeau | United States | $5,000 | |
| 4 | Laviska Shenault | United States | $3,500 | |
| 5 | Trent “BookItWithTrent” Attyah | United States | $3,000 | |
| 6 | Will Levis | United States | $2,500 | |
| 7 | Aljamain Sterling | United States | $2,000 | |
| 8 | Gordie Gronkowski | United States | $1,334 | |
| 9 | Eric Hansen | Canadian | $1,333 | |
| 10 | Eric Ebron | United States | $1,333 |
Athletes, Influencers & Vloggers Trade Pots
It was a packed house inside the PokerGO Studio as giant defensive ends and chic influencers took their seats at the half-dozen tables set up throughout the studio.
At the streamed feature table, chess queen Alexandra Botez sat across from Mongeau, who found herself seated between fellow social media stars Bryce Hall and Steiny.
Across the room, Ethan “Rampage” Yau matched up against fellow poker vlogger Brad Owen adjacent to a table headlined by the NFL’s Calais Campbell, soccer player Lauren Sesselmann and breakout poker star Wolfgang Poker.
PokerNews was in attendance as the electric invitational event got underway and caught up with the first poker vlogger to reach a million subscribers, who said he was excited to mix it up with “people who are experts in their field.”
“And we’re all coming together on the poker felt,” Wolfgang Poker said, “so it’s going to be a fun time.”
Another beloved poker YouTuber, Joey Ingram, was just as excited for the night to get underway as he helped host the night’s festivities.
“Everyone’s fired up, so many people here,” Ingram told PokerNews. “Everyone’s excited, it’s very rare you see this in a poker tournament where everyone’s amped up, ready to go. So it’s good energy in here.”
Read About Wolfgang Poker’s Vlogging Empire!
Princess Loves Comes Out On Top
One of the most stacked tables of the event featured eventual champion Love seated between her husband, Ray J, and defending champion Qiyu “Nemo” Zhou. Love held her own against the chess star and others at the table including Jose Canseco, Josie Canseco and Gordie Gronkowski.
According to PokerGO updates, Yau, Wolfgang Poker and Hall were all eliminated around the money bubble with ten spots paid in the invitational tournament. Not long after, Love scored a double knockout with a rivered flush and eventually overcame the commanding chip lead of NFL player Laviska Shenault en route to her invitational victory.
Don’t let the reality star’s TV persona fool you, Love is a crusher on the poker felt. Last December, she finished 40th in the WPT World Championship as she added $132,500 to her $270,404 in live earnings.
Others who made the money in the second annual Celebrity Poker Invitational include Gronkowski ($1,334), Trent “BookItWithTrent” Attyah (5th – $3,000) and Laviska Shenault (4th – $3,500).
*Lead photo courtesy PokerGO.