Chuck Liddell, Cheryl Hines to Appear on "Cursed" Poker ShowChuck "Iceman" Liddell (Mixed Martial Arts Champion) is one of many celebrities who will be appearing on the rebroadcast of Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker - a show that goes down in infamy whereby the set was raided during shooting.
(Ayre is caught like a deer in headlights by Gambling911.com camera crew as police enter his sprawling compound without warrants)
Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker will re-air on ION, the same network that brings us Bodog Fight. You can catch it 10pm / 9pm Central, starting Monday, May 28 and will culminate in a special three hour poker marathon, Saturday, June 2 at 8pm / 7pm Central. Check your local listings.
The show received little fanfare when it originally aired due to a gag order placed on Gambling911.com by Fox Sports Net, which first featured the show. The producers threatened a law suit and even suggested they would can the program if Fox or any variation of the network was mentioned in promotions leading up to the show.
Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker is hosted by billionaire entrepreneur and Bodog Entertainment Founder Calvin Ayre, and will feature a laundry list of celebrities and poker pros alike, including: Chuck "Iceman" Liddell (Mixed Martial Arts Champion), Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm), "Boston" Rob Mariano (Survivor, Amazing Race), Josh Malina (West Wing), Willie Garson (Sex in the City), Willa Ford (Musician), Mitch Allen (SR-71), Kelly Hu (Scorpion King), Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie), Michele Merkin (Foody Call) and poker pros Jennifer Tilly, Phil Laak, David Williams, Evelyn Ng, Josh Arieh, Jean Gluck, Michael Mizrachi, Lily Mizrachi, Humberto Brenes and Erick Lingdren.
During a wrap up party for the show in Costa Rica, a few dozen national police arrived in riot gear via a bus and raided Calvin Ayre's elaborate compound. The party was being filmed as part of the series.
Raucous party pics cited among reasons for Costa Rican raid of Ayre compound
Local media claimed the police were summoned as a result of "illegal poker games" taking place at the sprawling mansion, however, Gambling911.com witnessed no visible signs of poker tables at the Ayre residence during its visit there just days prior.
Ayre also informed Gambling911.com that a call placed to police suggested he was hosting an illegal prostitution ring there.
Ironically, Costa Rican police cited Gambling911.com as one of its sources after discovering photos of scantily clad models appearing at the Ayre home during our coverage of the show and mistaking them for prostitutes.
The Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker Curse: Ayre-rested and Terrified
Since appearing on Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker, a number of the celebrity attendees have fallen on bad times. A foot fetish video of poker pro David Williams turned up on the Internet. He claimed it was filmed during his college years yet he looked the same as when he appeared on Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker. Michele Merkin had run-ins with a stalker. Willie Garson got food poisoning. And Shannon Elizabeth has not won a poker tournament since appearing on the show.
But perhaps the hardest times have befallen upon Calvin Ayre himself. Ayre lost the Maserati he can be seen purchasing on the show, being forced to sell off the valuable asset. Following the high profile arrest in the US of a colleague in the online gambling realm, Ayre was no longer able to step foot on US soil, preventing him from engaging in many high profile celebrity events that had propelled the Forbes Cover Boy Billionaire to super stardom up to that point. Bodog had previously sponsored everything from MTV Music Awards parties to Lakers charity events.
"So-called celebrity 'friends' of Ayre abandoned him like the plague," explains Gambling911.com's Payton O'Brien. "Only his 'pseudo' celebrity friends Stateside at Gambling911.com remained by his side..... granted at a distance."
Ayre was also forced to contend with what many called a "frivolous" law suit filed by a company called BlueMoon Entertainment, which claimed that Ayre stole their idea for a "poker reality series". The BlueMoon Entertainment suit was later dropped.
But the worst of the curse reared its ugly head that March evening when swarms of police descended upon Ayre's mansion.
Shannon Elizabeth has not won a single poker tournament since appearing on Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker. Did Ayre cast sinister spell on American Pie beauty?
Terrified Model Offers Her Account of Ordeal
One of those dramatically affected by the hair-raising experience was a model, who Monday evening posted her account of the incident at MySpace.com. This is the fist victim to step forward.
In order to protect her identity, we will call her Bambi.
This is by far the craziest trip I've ever taken!!! Talk about getting raided by Federalis, Police, and Private Investigators all for the wrong reason.
So...last Thursday, I got called to go on this Costa Rica Trip. It's a Poker Reality TV Show that will be airing on ******* on April 16th-20th (I think that's right) So look out for it!!
I met the coolest girls ever - *****and **** and ***** - all from *****.
March 7th, 2006
We filmed at the studio till around 5:00 and went to Calvin Ayre's house for the party (Calvin Ayre is now on the cover of Forbe's Magazine)
Then this is where the crazy s*** happens. We're at Calvin's house ready to film the 2nd party of the party...so we're waiting.
Then my friend ****** comes in and says something about all these police guys waiting outside. I didn't think anything of it so we went on doing our own thing.
Then a whole group of them comes in and demands to see our I.D's which I had. I obviously didn't bring my passport because I didn't want it stolen. It was locked up in my hotel. They couldn't show a warrant or anything but the guy kept saying it was necessary..At that point I was freakin scared..I didn't want to get detained in Costa Rica.
We went and got our I.D.'s but then he wanted to see our passports..I was thinking "Oh ****"!
So we waited and waited..and finally **** (from Bodog.com) said she was gonna go to our hotel rooms and get our passports. The f**kin idiots searched everything..and then i went to get my purse. They wouldn't let me. I was a afraid they were going to plant s*** - either that or steal the cash I had in my wallet. I insisted they search my purse so I could take it with me and finally they agreed.
We were stuck in the house for 3 hours. They confiscated his (Calvin Ayre's) computer and brought in a search dog. They didn't find anything.
These stupid idiots claimed that there were illegal gambling rounds going on at the house, and they even thought we were prostitutes. haha
When I finally got out of there, I watched TV and saw myself on the news..then the next morning..the story made front cover.
Programming on ION (formerly PAX) was initially family-oriented and contained little or no sex, overt violence, or strong language and a whole lot of religious programming. Today, the network features Bodog Fight and a sexually charged poker reality show called Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker.
The Curse Lifted? Who Cares When $2 Mil is up for Grabs
What better way to lift a curse than to begin production on Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker II with a $2 million prize?
And those competing for the grand prize are not likely to let a little curse get in the way of their plans.
Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker II has been ramping up its search for the next reality TV superstar.
The poker and lifestyle-driven reality TV show featuring 12 contestants, all of whom will be selected online via user submitted audition videos or pictures. The 12 lucky contestants will compete in true reality TV fashion, battling one another in both poker and lifestyle related challenges, all in the hopes of walking away with the largest prize in reality TV history - $2 million!
It is hoped that by airing the program on a network laden with religious shows that somehow the "curse" can be lifted for good.
Ayre's people point to good things that have happened since production ended on the first installment of Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker.
Chuck Liddell went on to win his big UFC bout. Jennifer Tilly has shed her "Bride of Chucky" persona and is set to appear in the highly anticipated comedy-horror film "The Caretaker" where her character lusts for young boys? And the adorable Cheryl Hines is set to pop up on the small screens once again appearing in what she hopes is not the last season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" - our favorite comedy on television. Hines is also getting rave reviews for her role in the film "Waitress", which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and has had a limited showing in the US over the last two weeks.
Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker II is set to begin taping in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia some time in either July or August around the same time as filming for the fourth season of Bodog Fight
Bring your lucky rabbit's foot....and might we suggest a Crucifix...if you happen to be selected to appear on the show.
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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com
Originally published May 22, 2007 9:28 am ET
