Celebrities in the US gather for a poker game to combat economic struggles.
In partnership with online poker platform America's Cardroom, American actor Ben Affleck, aged 47, spearheaded a charity tournament involving prominent Hollywood stars and professional poker players. The event raised $1 million, which will be donated to Feeding America, an organization aiding those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Upcoming tournaments are being planned.
The United States: The Nation Most Affected by COVID-19
With over half a million COVID-19 infections, the US is currently the nation hardest hit by the pandemic. Additionally, more than 16 million people have lost their jobs. To mitigate the severity of the crisis, actor and passionate poker player Ben Affleck organised the first online charity poker tournament featuring Hollywood celebrities.
Amidst the virtual poker table, actors such as Tobey Maguire, Matt Damon, Adam Sandler, and Jason Bateman, coupled with comedian Sarah Silverman, NFL icon Tom Brady, and talented poker pros Phil Hellmuth, Jaime Staples, Jason Koon, and Alex Foxen; even poker legend Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson. The action was livestreamed on Twitch. In total, 75 players and viewers took part in the event, and 65 eventually joined. Texas Hold'em, a well-loved variant in which players are dealt two cards to create a winning hand from five community cards, was played. The buy-in stood at a strong $10,000.
The winner of the event was Ebony Kenney, who triumphed over runner-up Kevin Pollak in the final round. The poker pro from Florida has an enviable record, having took home the Florida Poker Championships title and amassed a fortune of nearly $300,000 in her career. In the United States, Kenney is famous for her many roles, including as a dancer, casino dealer, actress, model, and MMA co-host.
The True Victor is Feeding America
On Twitter, Affleck invited fans to experience the tournament firsthand and contribute financially; those with a Twitch account could send messages of encouragement to players and make personal donations. Over a million dollars were collected for Feeding America. Affleck asserted:
"I'm thrilled to tell you that I'm teaming up with Feeding America, the biggest food aid organization in the country, to raise vital funds for those in dire need. 100% of the proceeds will go to Feeding America."
Feeding America, founded in 1979 in Chicago, boasts America's largest token supply network and helps almost 46 million people annually. However, the organization is nearing a critical stage due to the rapidly increasing demand for food and dwindling stockpiles. This has prompted Fitzgerald, Chief Operating Officer of Feeding America, to issue an urgent call for support:
"The demand for food is increasing rapidly, yet our supplies are limited. Many food banks are reliant on their reserves to cope with the swelling demand. We are approaching a point at which the food banks will exhaust their supplies."
Feeding America is a non-profit network of over 200 food banks; it supports millions of individuals in the US yearly. Currently, the organization battles a unique pandemic-induced challenge. The $1 million raised in this initiative may be utilized to meet this need.
Due to the death of live events, the poker community has turned to online tournaments for alternative entertainment. After cancelling all major live events, the makers of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) decided to conduct an Online Spring Championship with a $4 million prize pool. The WSOP 2020's future is uncertain. Furthermore, PartyPoker and Poker Central have chosen to shift their tournaments online. The Poker Masters tournament (scheduled for October) features 30 events, covering buy-ins from $10,300 to $51,000, and a guaranteed prize pool of $2 million. World Poker Tour (WPT) organizers are also migrating to the online platform, intending to debut the "WPT Online Series Championship" in mid-May and hoping to collaborate with top online casinos.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
