Pamela Anderson May Play in Aussie Millions, by Brett Collson - 5th January 2009
(Credit: Poker News Daily)

Former “Baywatch” television star Pamela Anderson is rumored to be taking another dip into the poker scene later this month. Several sources are reporting that the sex symbol will be participating in the Aussie Millions Poker Championship at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, which kicks off on January 9th and runs through the 26th.

Anderson was scheduled to make an appearance at the Aussie Millions Main Event last year, but couldn’t fit the annual tournament into her schedule. It is believed that her management is in talks with tournament organizers for the former actress to take part as a celebrity player in 2009. She’ll join some of the top poker pros on the planet in the pursuit of the AUD $2 million first place prize.

Poker has long been an interest for Anderson. In 2006, she launched PamelaPoker.com, a sister site to Doyle’s Room, but the venture was shut down after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was signed into law later that year. Sites that vacated the U.S. market around that time included PartyPoker and Paradise Poker.

Anderson was formerly married to film producer and poker player Rick Salomon. The marriage lasted for only for ten weeks before the couple separated; it was finally annulled just six months after the wedding. According to Anderson during an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the couple began dating because Salomon promised to pay off her poker debts. Salomon is most famously known for his starring role in “One Night in Paris,” which was the first Paris Hilton Sex tape.

Along with her role as C.J. Parker on “Baywatch,” Anderson appeared in the hit television sitcom “Home Improvement” and starred in shows such as “V.I.P.” and “Stacked.” She most recently stumbled upon the giant that is reality television and became of the center of attention in her own show on the E! Network called “Pam: Girl on the Loose.”

Others believed to be making an appearance at this year’s Aussie Millions Main Event are former tennis star Mark Philippoussis and ex-rugby player Kris Smith, the husband of Australian singer Danielle Minogue. Both are supposedly looking for sponsors in the event. Past celebrities to make the trip to Crown Casino were actress-turned-poker player Shannon Elizabeth, tennis superstar Andy Roddick, and actor Michael Vartan.

The 2009 Aussie Millions Main Event will kick off on January 18th. A winner will be named six days later. Alexander Kostritsyn was crowned as last year’s champion, besting 778 players for a first place prize of $1.4 million. Kostritsyn beat Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel after two hours of heads-up play. Other past winners of the Main Event include Gus Hansen (2007), Team PokerStars Pro Lee Nelson (2006), and Tony Bloom (2004).

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