Abi Titmuss headed out to Las Vegas last week, to play in a celebrity charity heat of the World Series of Poker as part of the ladbrokespoker.com team.

Ruskingoton-born Abi has been testing her poker skills against some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in the biggest tournament on the poker calendar. Sadly she was knocked out by Ben Affleck, an experienced poker player.

Set against the bright lights of the casino capital, Abi was to donate at least half of her winnings to charity as she played on behalf of Ladbrokespoker.com, the largest European contingency at the tournament with 120 players.

The Ante Up For Africa charity poker tournament, taking place as part of the WSOP, is organised by Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle (known for parts in such films as Oceans Eleven and Hotel Rwanda) and poker star Annie Duke. Last year, the inaugural tournament raised over $700,000 and attracted a selection of Hollywood A-listers as well as sports, television and poker stars from the USA and around the world.

Ante Up For Africa provides assistance to the survivors of the crisis in Darfur, Sudan and supports work to resolve the crisis.
Abi took part in her first professional tournament, the Ladbrokespoker.com European Ladies Championship, in May. She said it was pretty nerve-wracking against a selection of Hollywood's finest, but Matt Damon put her at ease.

Now in its 39th year, the WSOP sees the world's top poker players go head to head at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to become the winner of a coveted WSOP 2008 bracelet and take home the top prize of around $8 million.