- July 14, 2025
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The Winter Garden Squeeze hosted their first Celebrity Poker Tournament at Rock & Brews on June 29. Photos courtesy of Chiara D’Amato Creative.
Winter Garden Squeeze General Manager Adam Bates made sure to join in on the poker fun during the fundraising event. Photo courtesy of Chiara D’Amato Creative.
David Scherrer from Big Stacks Poker League dealt a pari of cards for the Texas Hold ‘em poker tournament that pitted Winter Garden Squeeze players and coaches against fans. Photo courtesy of Chiara D’Amato Creative.
Along with the poker, the event also included a raffle featuring various collectables such as an autographed Johnny Damon baseball. Photo courtesy of Chiara D’Amato Creative.
It wasn’t just poker at the fundraising event, attendees also had the chance to head home with prizes such as baseball cards. Photos courtesy of Chiara D’Amato Creative.
Squeeze General Manager Adam Bates, left, congratulated the tournament’s winner Pablo Sierra with a $500 gift card. Photo courtesy of the Winter Garden Squeeze.
Winter Garden Squeeze player Nico Banez, left, General Manager Adam Bates and Rico Banez — Nico Banez’s father — smiled for a photo at the poker event. Photo courtesy of the Winter Garden Squeeze.
The Winter Garden Squeeze — with the help of Big Stacks Poker League — pitted its fans, players, coaches, interns and staff against each other for an evening full of exciting Texas Hold ‘em action at Rock & Brews in Kissimmee for its first-ever celebrity poker tournament Sunday, June 29.
“Thanks to the community, sponsors and Rock & Brews for the support of this event,” said Adam Bates, Winter Garden Squeeze General Manager. “We look forward to growing it in the future, and we’re excited to see what the second half of the season brings, as we make a playoff push.”
Along with the fun at the card tables, which saw final table prizes exceed $1,000, event-goers were treated to raffles, door prizes, 50/50 drawings and a two-hour buffet crafted by the Rock & Brews kitchen.
At the end of the evening’s main event, only one poker player was left standing, Pablo Sierra. He not only claimed the first-place prize of a $500 gift card, but he also has the historic honor — and the bragging rights that come along with it — of being the very first winner of the Winter Garden Squeeze Celebrity Poker Tournament.
All proceeds from the evening benefit the Winter Garden Squeeze organization and the Florida Collegiate Summer League.