World Series of Poker Puts a Bad Beat on Cancer
For those of you who think that poker players and gamblers do not associate themselves with charitable causes, you need to give pause to think again. The latest World Series of poker event is just a day away and it all starts to heat up this weekend at the Rio in Las Vegas. Harrah’s Entertainment (home of the Rio) are putting the Bad Beat on cancer and encouraging players to donate to the Nevada Cancer Institute.
The ideal scenario is that winners donate 1% of their winnings to this charitable cause and this year it is their official community partner. The Harrah’s press release has already stated that poker players are some of the “most generous and charity-conscious people on the planet,” now all they have to do is live up to the statement. These boys with a “bad” reputation, because they gamble for a living, have actually done a lot more good than many people can imagine.
While some people believe that bingo is the only game to be regularly associated with charitable causes, nothing could be further from the truth. Poker is continually used to raise both funds and awareness for a lot of worthy causes and this is not the only event that will be use to springboard fund raising.
During 2010 the WSOP also plans to “Ante Up For Africa” for the third year running and this annual event has so far been able to raise more than $1.5 million. That is a lot of dollars, and this starts on the 3rd July.
Speaking of Africa, it is not only in the US and Europe that poker tournaments which support charitable causes are held, and it is not only celebrities and big poker winners who support these efforts. Everyday charities all over the world are pulling together to raise money and using poker as a means to an end.
We already know that the biggest celebrities in tinsel town play poker for charity, heck players like Ben Afleck and Matt Damon, don’t need the money! But star studded event or local small tournament alike, everyone loves playing poker and is more than delighted to drop a couple of hundred into the pot in the name of a good cause.
Poker for Purpose is a South African foundation which hosts charity challenges to raise funds. They recently got together with Full House Events and MGG Productions and raised R180 000 ($24 000) for ‘kids helping kids’ – the Kirsty Watts Foundation. This function was hosted in lavish style in a Bently car showroom, in partnership with Breitling watches.
Poker for Purpose was launched in 2009 in South Africa, and what a brilliant idea this is. Just think about it, if you invite big business men to a charity bingo evening, it may not appeal to them. You want to squeeze their wallets in aid of a good cause, so you offer them a lush poker night out – guaranteed they will RSVP, attend and spend!