Poker pro and high stakes cash game player, Maria Ho has signed on as a celebrity spokesperson for the third largest casino in the world, the WinStar World Casino. Maria joins fellow poker player and 2004 Main Event Champion, Greg Raymer as the casino’s two poker celebrity endorsers.

Maria will be seen promoting the casino in ad campaigns, as well as playing in several poker tournaments and satellites, including their annual The River Poker Series, running from May 15th to September 5th, 2011. With an enticing re-entry format and a $3,000,000 guarantee, The River’s $2,100 Main Event has started drawing big fields over the last few years. . Last year, The River Poker Series main event drew 1,436 participants with $646,690 for first place. Total Prize Pool (last year with a 2.5million guarantee) was $2,872,000.

With WinStar enlisting poker pros like Maria Ho and Greg Raymer to promote their poker series, they look to reach more of the professional poker community and add more poker pros and stars to their tournament fields.

Assistant General Manager of WinStar World Casino, Michael McEwan said, "We are honored to have Maria Ho represent WinStar World Casino in the 2011 Guaranteed $3,000,000 River Poker Series. She is a well-respected and often emulated poker player who we feel will be relatable to our patrons and to players across the nation.”

 A recognized and respected figure in the poker community and one of the few women to play high stakes cash games, Maria has quite the resume that spans both the poker and entertainment worlds. Since her breakout performance at the 2007 World Series of Poker, where she was the Last Woman Standing, she has continued to obtain impressive results on the tournament circuit. With nine WSOP cashes, three WPT cashes and an extensive list of live and online results, she is currently ranked as one of Poker’s Top 10 Female Tournament Money Earners of All Time (under the age of 30). She has been seen on the CBS Emmy Award winning show The Amazing Race, Anderson Cooper 360, American Idol and The Bonnie Hunt show.

“I’m really looking forward to this opportunity to work with Winstar. Their casino is like nothing I’ve ever seen before… I could stay there for days without ever stepping outside! From my past experiences, the people who I’ve met and played with at the tables have a warmth and love for the game that is refreshing and reminds me why I love to play. I’m looking forward to spending more time there.” stated Maria Ho.