World Poker Stars Party in Houston at Swank Boutique: There’s Nothing Quite Like a Red Hot Baccarat Bash

There’s nothing like a little bubbly or a drinkie served in one of Baccarat’s divine crystal flutes or cocktail glasses. Particularly when taken in the spectacular Baccarat Hotel bar in New York. But that’s another story.

Because on this night, the cocktail elegance took place in the swank Baccarat boutique in River Oaks District.

It was a poker party. But not just any country club round of cards. Baccarat partnered with World Poker Tour celebs for an evening of poker and prizes benefiting the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association Charitable Foundation. And, yes, the champagne and cocktails were served in Baccarat crystal.

The evening was the second act of the late September “Red Hot Gala,” that raised $500,000 for the foundation. Gala chairs Elizabeth and Alan Stein dubbed the card fest “the first post party.”

Joining the party that had the boutique packed to the chandeliers were Baccarat worldwide exec Ward Simmons, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Eileen Davidson, World Poker Tour anchor Lynn Gilmartin, WPT commentators Tony Dunst and Vince Van Patten and WPT marketing director Warren Woodall.

Limited to 30 players, with plenty of observers, the Texas Hold ’em competition was reduced to a final table of nine. The winners took home to-die-for boxed sets of Baccarat — stemware, decanters and whiskey glasses. The event was so rocking, even after the poker winners were announced, that the hosts had to blink the lights several times to get the revelers to call for their cars.

That night and for the following three days, 20 percent of everything sold in the store went to the foundation.

PC Seen: Patti and Don Murphy, Franco Valobra, Renee and Alan Helfman, Vicki Rusca, Shelby Kibodeaux and Bruce Padilla, Nikki and Cody Toliver, Lenny Matuszewski, Marty Lancton, Cissy Abel, Laura Stein, Olivia and James Minahan, Tony Dunst, Lynn Gilmartin, and John Butcher.