Calvin Ayre presents Youth Foundation check during Lakers half time game

Founder and CEO of Bodog.com presented a check to the Lakers Youth Foundation during half time of the Lakers/Clippers game in which the former team pounced on the Playoff bound Clippers.

Bodog.com also hosted a dinner gathering for those involved with the Lakers organization. Held in the Chairman's Room, Ayre and his crew welcomed Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

Last year, Bodog.com presented the Lakers with a check for $50,000. This year they more than tripled the donation.

The Lakers Youth Foundation is dedicated to using its resources to provide life-enriching opportunities for today’s youth. The Lakers Read to Achieve program focuses on literacy with the goals of building a lifelong love of reading in young people, promoting the value of reading and online literacy, and encouraging families and adults to read regularly with young children.

Bodog.com announced Monday that Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker, hosted by the billionaire founder and CEO of Bodog.net, will air weekly on cable (check your local listings for station) on Saturdays from 11 p.m.-1 a.m. (all time zones in North America), beginning April 15, 2006.

In the series, Mr. Ayre sets out to discover the next TV Poker star. The six episodes detail the journey of 40 individuals -- 10 celebrities, 10 poker professionals and 20 Bodog.net poker players -- who use their card-playing skills to compete for a $500,000 grand prize. The series showcases poker games, Costa Rican excursions, Bodog.net Music artists and the billion-dollar lifestyle of the show's adventurous host.

"We initially set out to create a poker and entertainment show that would offer television viewers a glimpse into Bodog.net's Play Hard lifestyle," says Mr. Ayre. "What we got was a television show entirely unlike any show you could imagine. With unexpected twists and turns, including some of the intimate moments captured by the cameras, the millions of viewers tuning in this week will see a fantastic show with a lot of tense scenes at the poker table."

The poker hopefuls include a number of television, music and poker celebrities, such as Ultimate Fighting Champ Chuck "Iceman" Liddell, actress/comedian Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm), "Boston" Rob Mariano (Survivor), Josh Malina (West Wing) and Willie Garson (Sex in the City), along with music stars Willa Ford and SR-71's Mitch Allen.

Also present during filming were Hollywood beauties Kelly Hu (Scorpion King), Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie) and Michele Merkin (Foody Call), along with Extra TV correspondent Jon Kelley, who covered the event while playing in the tournament. Poker notables such as Jennifer Tilly, Phil Laak, David Williams, Evelyn Ng, plus Josh Arieh, Jean Gluck, Michael Mizrachi, Lily Mizrachi, Humberto Brenes and Erick Lindgren, all starred in the series. A mystery "Wild Card" player will be revealed in the finale, which will air May 20.

Extra's Jon Kelley (currently on the injury list) and Bodog.com Founder and CEO Calvin Ayre