Googler Wins Poker Charity Event at Computer History Museum

The techies beat the poker pros—again.

For the third consecutive year bragging rights remained in Silicon Valley as tech executives beat out World Poker Tour (WPT) professionals during the now annual charity poker challenge. And this 2013 year, the WPT and Silicon Valley Executive Network decided to donate the 100 percent of the proceeds, after expenses, to the Computer History Museum—who happily hosted the event.

The 2013 champion was Google's Shishir Mehrotra who beat out sponsor Nancy Albertini with a trio of duces. Third runner up was Twitter's Amar Anand. Only one poker pro—Dan Smith—made it to the elite six table.

In total about 20 pros donated their time and money, including Shannon Shorr, Jonathan Little, Joseph Serock, Faraz Jaka, Jason Sommerville, Tommy Vedes, Noah Schwartz and Dan O'Brien.

About 70 tech professionals and venture capitalists, members of the invite-only SVEN, participated. They include—mostly men—from companies like Kitchit, Cisco, Periscope, Google, M3 Automation, Triggit, IVP, Box, Egg Haus, Saunders Holdings, Intel, JiWire, SpreeCast, Appensure, Square, Sutter Hill Ventures, Optimal, Inc., WilmerHale, Crossview and SpreeCast. Rich Arnold, chief financial officer of CrowdFlower, was the 2012 champion.

In total the event was expected to raise $25,000.

Highlights of the charity tournament will be aired by the WPT in broadcasts of the Shooting Star event in three parts on June 30, July 7 and July 14 on CSN Bay Area.

Come back to Mountain View Patch for video and interviews from the event!

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