Phil Hellmuth, Lex Veldhuis Headline Epic PokerStars NAPT Players Party in Las Vegas
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It’s no secret that the 2023 PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT), which is taking place right now at Resorts World Las Vegas, marks the first NAPT in a dozen years.
But did you know that Thursday night’s festivities marked the first PokerStars Players Party in Las Vegas in 13 years? It was way back on July 11, 2010, during the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) that the online poker giant rented out the entire nightclub at the Palms for an epic party that featured an exclusive performance by none other than Snoop Dogg.
As Day 2 of the $1,650 NAPT Main Event was winding down on Thursday night, players were invited to Resorts World’s famed Zouk Nightclub from 8-11 p.m. for free drinks, appetizers, and entertainment. While Snoop Dogg was NOT in the house sippin’ on gin and juice, plenty of notables were in attendance.
Foremost among them was 17-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, who earlier in the afternoon busted the Main Event about a dozen spots shy of the money. Donning his trademark black and gold tracksuit complete with matching Luxon Pay hat, Hellmuth was joined by his sister, Anne, a 33-time Special Olympics gold medalist visiting from Madison, Wisconsin.
Hellmuth stayed busy rubbing elbows with various industry movers and shakers while taking time to snap selfies with fans before ducking out around 10 p.m. to register the $5,300 8-Game tournament late taking place upstairs.