Pokertek and Carnival Cruise Lines begin satellites for 4th Annual Carnival Pokerpro Challenge

Chris Moneymaker, renowned poker expert and winner of the 2003 WSOP Main Event, will play in the tournament for the second year in a row.

Players can qualify to play in the Carnival PokerPro Challenge Grand Final event by winning a US$150 buy-in satellite tournament that are already being offered aboard any of Carnival’s 22 "Fun Ships.”

Qualifying rounds will also be played at participating land-based properties featuring PokerPro and other select venues. Players who win in a qualifying tournament will win a US$750 entry in the Grand Final event aboard the Carnival Dream sailing from Port Canaveral, FL December 3-10, 2011. In addition, players who win on Carnival ships will receive a cash prize or a cruise certificate.

During the week, a variety of cash games and additional tournaments will be scheduled, including the highly popular “Beat the Moneymaker” tournament, where players compete to be the first to knock out Chris Moneymaker for a cash bounty.

“The Carnival PokerPro Challenge has become so popular that we are bringing in additional PokerPro tables to expand the final event in December and accommodate more players. We’ve also significantly increased the guaranteed prize pool to

US$100,000,” said Rodney Dofort, Senior Vice President of Casino Operations for Carnival Cruise Lines.