Poker players not only win big amounts of money but have also generously spent their winnings on helping the less fortunate in recent times. While gaming operators, casinos and multiple organisations work with charities, there are a few poker stars who engage in various causes and donate a major piece of their winnings to charities. Let’s have a look at the poker players who have been working with various charities and contributing to help the ones in need.
Despite being called the ‘Poker Brat’, citing his antics during live tournaments, Phil Hellmuth has a heart of gold and is amongst the most charitable poker players. He is known to make regular donations from time to time for needy causes.
He has greatly engaged with several charity organisations, which include the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, the Peace Thru Sports Foundation, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, amongst others. Hellmuth and his wife also help out Heifer International, an organisation which provides food to developing villages in poor nations across the world.
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Jennifer Harman values charity very much as she has received the gift of life twice, citing her kidney transplants. The two-time WSOP bracelet winner is seen working with two charities close to her heart: the Nevada SPCA and the National Kidney Foundation.
After her second kidney transplant, Harman founded Creating Organ Donor Awareness (CODA). It focuses on helping raise money and awareness for those needing transplants, which can be life-saving.
Harman has also hosted numerous poker tournaments to raise money for charities. Amongst them is her popular annual Celebrity Poker Tournament, which takes place in Las Vegas. It benefits the NV SPCA as stars from various industries, including sports, entertainment and poker for charity.
Linda Johnson is very well known for her work away from the poker table, as she helped create the Tournament Directors’ Association, which sets common rules for poker tournaments. One of the best things she was also involved in was the forming of pokergives.org. In 2009, Johnson helped found the nonprofit organisation, making it easy for poker players to donate to charities.
Every year, Poker Gives holds numerous events around the West Coast and Las Vegas to raise money, which includes poker tournaments, special events, and live auctions. This platform allows players to donate directly on the Poker Gives website.
Charities like Special Olympics Nevada, the Wish Upon a Hero Foundation, Paralyzed Veterans, and the Step by Step Foundation have benefited from Poker Gives.
New Jersey-based poker star Matt Stout did something that helped average players make donations easily. The American poker player created the Charity Series of Poker (CSOP), which gives poker players an affordable way to give back whatever they can and make donations to various organisations. It is a very good tool, as average poker players usually find it difficult to meet expectations, citing the number of donations some organisations make.
Barry Greenstein has received the nickname ‘The Robin Hood of Poker’, which goes on to imply how deeply he has been involved with charity. The professional poker player is known to actively help the ones in need. The three-time WSOP bracelet winner is known to donate a lot of his tournament winnings to various charities. He is primarily involved with Children Incorporated – a nonprofit international child sponsorship organisation.
Started in 2014, the annual “St. Jude Against All Odds” event, started off with poker pro Daniel Negreanu. It is the only official charity poker tournament which helps and presents support to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This charity poker event has raised over $1.9 Million Since it was founded, and is supported by poker pros like Phil Ivey and John Cynn.
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Smit is a sports writer at Gutshot Magazine. After completing his Bachelor’s in Mass Media, and a Master’s degree in Sports Management, this sports fanatic uses articles as a tool to express his opinions. Bring up cricket or football and you will find this usually quiet guy speak for hours! He also co-heads the official supporters club of Chelsea FC in Mumbai, wherein he hosts screenings, football meets and other such events.
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