Poker is coming to the Fontainebleau casino in Las Vegas. Russell Westbrook’s Sixth Annual Why Not? Foundation (WNF) Poker Night happens Sept. 18.
The event is held in conjunction with the World Poker Tour Foundation. It marks the first poker event at the property located at the north end of the Strip. Fontainebleau opened in 2023 without a poker room.
The annual Westbrook charity tournament has raised more than $2 million. Proceeds benefit WNF’s mission to promote educational access, workforce development, and mental health and wellness programs in underserved communities.
Last year’s event brought together poker pros, celebrities, entrepreneurs, and supporters. The list included DeAndre Jordan, DeMar DeRozan, Princess Love, Antonio Esfandiari, and Adin Hill. Past participants included Chris Paul, Jason Koon, and Maria Ho.
Westbrook recently announced his retirement from the NBA after an 18-year career.
“Our upcoming Sixth Annual Poker Night is a signature cornerstone of our ongoing work to unlock game-changing futures for underserved youth,” Westbrook said. “With that purpose in mind, my retirement is beyond a farewell; it’s a new door opened for impact at the highest level.
“Basketball gave me the platform, but purpose has helped me reimagine what’s possible. This next chapter gives me the opportunity to invest further in the next generation. Since 2012, it’s been an honor to build new pathways to success for young people in my hometown of South Los Angeles with the Why Not? Foundation.”
Poker At Fontainebleau
Poker at Fontainebleau, at least for one night, comes after nearby Resorts World closed its cardroom in March. Further south on the Strip, Planet Hollywood closed its poker venue in January just months after reopening it.
While players may worry about occasional closings, others argue that fewer rooms and less market saturation could benefit the industry in the long run.
In recent years, a poker room was reopened at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, Nevada. Nebraska’s first casino poker room opened last year.
Poker is generally seen as less-profitable than other options in the gaming industry. That was likely part of Fontainebleau management’s thinking in not including a card-playing venue.
This marks the second event at a Las Vegas casino without a poker room for the WPT. The company hosted a series of livestreamed, high-stakes cash games at the Palms in June. The casino’s room closed in 2014 after opening just two years earlier.
- Photos – Russell Westrbook Enterprises, Shutterstock
