<p>Carnival Cruise Lines, the world&rsquo;s largest cruise operator, is hosting its 2009 PokerPro Challenge, a series of No Limit Texas Hold&rsquo;em poker tournaments, which will take place during each voyage of the line&rsquo;s 22 ships now through October.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The winners of the preliminary tournaments will face off for a cash prize of $25,000 in the &ldquo;Grand Final&rdquo; during the Carnival Freedom&rsquo;s January 24, 2010, six-day voyage from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All games will be played on state-of-the-art PokerPro tables, which clearly and quickly display players&rsquo; commitments and table stakes, pot amount and community cards. PokerPro tables also identify the winners at the end of each hand and immediately add the winnings to the player&rsquo;s table stakes.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; First place winners of the preliminary tournaments will automatically be entered to participate in the Grand Final, as well as receive a certificate towards a cruise on the Carnival Freedom&rsquo;s January 24 voyage. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The tournament entry fee is $150 per person. Guests can register for the tournaments on the first night of their cruise at the casino cashier cage, subject to availability.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Carnival is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with 22 &ldquo;Fun Ships&rdquo; operating voyages ranging from three to 16 days in length to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, New England, Canada, Bermuda and Europe. &nbsp;&nbsp;The line has two new ships scheduled for delivery between now and 2011.</p>