The casino game of poker, often associated with Old West saloons and
gunslingers, has recently seen an explosive upsurge in popularity in the
United States. The televised big-money tournament World Series of Poker
and World Poker Open games have created poker celebrities and millions
of poker fans. Naturally, the next step in the evolution of a sport is
charity games. Though the idea is a new one, some organizations are
embracing the idea of charity poker tournaments as a new and exciting
way to raise money for good causes.
There are many venues jumping on to the charity poker bandwagon, and the
events are attracting fans, celebrities, and millions in funds for
non-profit organizations. In October of 2005, Pulver Enterprises hosted
the "Best Bet for the Cure: Charity Poker No-Limit Texas Hold'Em
Tournament" at their Voice on Net conference in Boston. The tournament
raised thousands for the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation and The
Barton Center for Diabetes Education, and attracted celebrity
participants such as John Ratzenberger and poker star Phil Hellmuth.
Since Boston does not allow gambling, the fund-raising took place in the
form of a raffle. Ofer Gneezy, President and CEO of iBasis won the top
raffle prize - a $10,000 buy-in seat to the World Series of Poker
Tournament. Winners of the poker games received the coveted bronze
Pulver cup.
Another recent charity poker tournament was held in Las Vegas. The Cory
Lidle Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament boasted 103 entrants, several
of them celebrities, and raised over $20,000 that was donated to the
Make-a-Wish Foundation and the tsunami relief effort. Celebrity
participants included baseball players Cory Lidle, Adam Dunn, Mike
Lieberthal, Ron McKinnon, and Eric Chavez, actor William August, MLB
free agents Tom Wilson and Scott Erickson, and rising poker star Thomas
Keller. The winner of the event, Kelly Flynn, took home $30,000.
In addition to live charity poker tournaments, many Internet casinos
hold charity poker tournaments with the proceeds being donated to
various causes. If you love to play poker and like to make a difference
in the world through charity, you might consider signing on to play in a
charity poker tournament. You will get to interact with other players,
do something good, and who knows - maybe you'll meet a poker celebrity
or two! Visit your favorite Internet casino or type in "charity poker
tournament" in a search engine to find one starting up near you today.
