BY TOM SOMACH

Professional poker player Jennifer Harman is scheduled to host a celebrity poker tournament on April 20 in Las Vegas to raise money for charity.

The event–an inaugural affair–is to feature celebrities from the worlds of poker and entertainment, but will also be open to anyone willing to pony up the $300 entrance fee in order to try to win the tourney’s top prize of a seat in the next World Series of Poker (WSOP), which is valued at $10,000.

Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Professional poker players that are scheduled to participate in the charity tourney include WSOP bracelet winners Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson, T.J. Cloutier, Jeff Madsen, Ted Forrest, Howard Lederer, Robert Williamson III, Jamie Gold, Annie Duke, Joe Hachem, Chris Moneymaker, David Williams, Phil “Poker Brat” Hellmuth, Scotty Nguyen, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Jennifer Harman, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu and David “Devilfish” Ulliott.

Other professional poker players that are slated to play in the event are J.C. Tran, Nam Le, Rene “Mr. Celine Dion” Angelil, Jean-Robert Belland, David Benjamine, Brad Booth, Alan Boston, Todd “Son of Doyle” Brunson, Brandon Cantu, Hoyt Corkins, Paul Darden, Eli Elezra, Antonio Esfandiari, Sam Farha, Chau Giang, Clonie Gowan, Barry Greenstein, Brandy Rose Hawbaker, Chip Jett, Karina Jett, Connie Kim, Jennifer Leigh, Liz Lieu, Erik Lindgren, Marcel Luske, Minh Ly, Mike Matusow, Carlos Mortensen, Chris McCormack, Evelyn Ng, Ralph Perry, Carmel Petresco, Josh Arieh, David “Chip” Reese, Joe Reitman, Erica Schoenberg and Marco Traniello.

Non-poker celebs scheduled to play are actress Jennifer Tilly, comedian Carrot Top, musician Vince Neil of Motley Crue, talk show hosts Kerri Kasem and Alan Stock, comic artist Frank Frisina and Olympic snowboard medalist Ross Powers.

The tournament is scheduled to begin at noon in the Caesars Palace poker room.

“Caesars Palace has earned its reputation as the ‘Home of Champions’ by providing its guests with unparalleled experiences in the world of sports, entertainment and special events,” said Caesars Palace President Gary Selesner in a news release announcing the tournament.

“We are proud to continue in that tradition by hosting Jennifer Harman’s charity poker tournament,” he added.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)