CELEBS, TOP PROS IN SAN JOSE FOR POKER TOURNAMENT

CELEBS, TOP PROS IN SAN JOSE FOR POKER TOURNAMENT More than 400 people, including actors Tobey Maguire and James Woods, are at a San Jose card club today playing poker for a $1 million first prize and a seat at the World Poker Tour championship game. The Shooting Star tournament is in San Jose for the second year in a row and has attracted 440 entrants including celebrity poker players Maguire, Woods, Mimi Rogers and Jennifer Tilly in addition to most of the world's top professional poker players such as Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan and Phil Gordon, co-host of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown, according to tournament director Matt Savage. "We're excited to bring big-time poker here to San Jose,'' Savage said. The Texas Hold 'Em tournament will be played all week with the final table being filmed on Friday for broadcast in June on the Travel Channel's "World Poker Tour'' series. "The exciting rounds are definitely on Thursday and Friday,'' Savage said. Members of the public will be able to watch the final table live but seating is limited. There will also be a live simulcast of the final table at Bay 101 on Friday beginning at 4 p.m. In Texas Hold 'Em, players are each dealt two cards face-down and all players share five face-up cards with which they must make the best poker hand. The tournament field is wide open and one or more of the celebrity players could easily make the final table, Savage said. "Tobey Maguire's been playing great. James Woods thinks he's the best player in the world and Mimi Rogers finished in the money here last year,'' Savage said. Bay 101 is located at 1001 Bering Drive in San Jose. More information about the tournament can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.bay101.com.