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A Ben Affleck Poker Charity Event Full of Celebrities!
With a great idea behind his intentions, it’s no surprise that Ben Affleck’s cause was supported by some of the most famous actors, comedians and high-profile celebrities in the world of showbusiness. Some of the people who were involved in this charity include Tom Brady, Aaron Paul, Adam Sandler, Matt Damon, Adam Levine, Tobey Maguire and many more. However, some poker professionals also enrolled in the tournament. Although retired, one of the best poker players of all time, Doyle Brunson, and his son Todd also decided to participate, giving a more competitive feel to this charity event.
The Organisation of the Ben Affleck Charity Poker Event
Since all casinos have been currently closed, the event has been held online and was live-streamed on Twitch for the people who wanted to see their favourite actors and celebrities compete in a poker game. The tournament was held on 11th of April 2020, Easter Saturday, with a buy-in of $10,000 and the version of choice was Texas Hold’em – one of the easiest, but most exciting poker variants.
In total, 65 celebrities entered the competition and many of them used social media to promote the event with hopes of getting more viewers who would also donate funds for this noble cause. Each participant was granted with a starting amount of 1 million virtual chips and with most of the players being well-aware of how online poker sites operated, it wasn’t hard for them to engage fully in the action held by the American Cardroom poker site.
The Matt Damon Ben Affleck Celebrity Poker Story – History Repeats!
These two actors have a rich poker experience behind their backs. On one hand, Ben Affleck has been a big fan of the game and has competed in several tournaments, earning more than $300,000 from prize pools. On the other hand, we have Matt Damon, who is also quite familiar with poker. After playing the lead role in one of the best gambling movies of all time, Rounders, Mr. Damon got passionate about poker and has also participated in various tournaments. Back in 2008, both stars were playing in the same WSOP event and here they once again reunite for the benefit of less fortunate people in a situation, best described by the main organiser of the charity:
“During these times of uncertainty, I’m thinking about our most vulnerable populations – children who are losing access to the meals they rely on, our friends and family who are facing job disruptions, the elderly, and low-income families.” – Ben Affleck
Here’s Who Won the Ben Affleck Poker Charity Event!
Leaving aside the Ben Affleck Matt Damon poker bromance, the winner of the tournament was none other than Ebony Kenney. Although most people might not be familiar with her, Mrs. Kenney is a life coach, entrepreneur, and a poker professional. Among the top rankings in the event, Kevin Polack finished second, followed by Andy Milonakis.
Bryan Cranston was fifth and Toby Maguire was also among the top 10 finishers. Apart from the prize pool of all buy-ins, the ACR donated a hefty amount which in the end helped the charity reach more than $2 million. However, if you wish to find out more about the playing hands, check out the live-stream from one of the poker pro participants – Mike “The Mouth” Matusow!
Will There Be Other Coronavirus Charities?
It’s in human nature to show sympathy and be helpful to the ones in need, and with the impact which coronavirus had on the whole world, many people have decided to offer their help. The Ben Affleck charity poker tournament seems to have inspired other people as well and on Thursday, the 16th of April, there was another poker event, named “Chipping All-In”.
The prize pool will be donated and the players that have been included are some of the biggest names in professional golf. Playing Texas Hold’em for causes like these still brings hopes that the coronavirus impact on casinos can at least be minimised by good advertising of gambling as a way to battle this life-threatening disease.
