TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER

ONEIDA NATION HOMELANDS, N.Y., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Oneida Indian Nation's Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, N.Y. will host the first- ever live telecast of a poker tournament final on television. Six finalists will battle it out live for $1,000,000 in cash on Fox Sports Net, Wednesday, July 14, 2004 in front a potential audience of over 70 million television households.

A maximum of 108 players will compete in a three day $10,000 buy-in, No Limit Texas Holdem tournament, which will begin at noon on Monday, July 12. The field will be narrowed to 36 continuing on to Day Two with the final six players competing LIVE on Fox Sports Net, Wednesday, July 14 beginning at 6 PM Eastern.

The Texas Holdem tournament will be held under the direction of Matt Savage, tournament director for the World Series of Poker, and many of the stops on the World Poker Tour. Registration is open to all players at a buy-in of $10,000. Players can register at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino's Poker Room by calling 315-361-8676 or by calling Savage at 650-278-0978.

"Texas Holdem Poker is fast becoming one of the most watched sports on TV," stated Savage. "Fox Sports Net's presentation of the first-ever live final to air nationwide will give our viewers a front row seat to see and hear what high stakes Poker is REALLY all about."

Ray Halbritter, Nation Representative of the Oneida Nation and CEO of Turning Stone, praised Fox for its innovative approach to televising poker.

"Texas Holdem Poker is exciting by its very nature, but televising it live to millions of people will make it that much more of a thrill for television viewers," said Halbritter. "We're pleased Fox Sports chose Turning Stone to showcase this exciting new venture."

Turning Stone, which celebrates its 11th anniversary about the time of the telecast, is located in the rolling hills of Upstate New York about 30 miles east of Syracuse. It rapidly has grown into the premier golf destination resort in the Northeast, with the third of three championship caliber courses opening this summer. In addition, Turning Stone is completing a $308 million expansion, which has added a luxury all-suites hotel, a 19-story tower hotel and 5,000-seat events center.

The resort is just one of 15 different business enterprises operated by the Oneida Indian Nation. Proceeds from all of these businesses are used to improve the quality of life of Members of the Nation, which was the first ally of the colonists at the time of the American Revolutionary War.