At the 2008 World Series of Poker, a $5,000 buy-in Ante Up for Africa raised money and awareness for those affected by the crisis in Darfur. Emceed by 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, the tournament attracted 88 of poker’s most recognizable names along with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. This week, online poker room Ultimate Bet announced that from Friday, August 15th to Sunday, August 17th it will host six “Ante Up for Africa” tournaments, with all of the tournament fees being given to the Ante Up for Africa charity.
Among the star-studded cast that will compete are actor and producer Don Cheadle, Ultimate Bet Army ringleader Phil Hellmuth, UB tournament designer Annie Duke, Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon, Gary “Debo34” DeBernardi, Shawn “westtexasman” Rice, actress and poker player Tiffany Michelle, Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy, and James “P0KERPR033” Campbell.
Ultimate Bet recently signed Michelle, Josephy, and Campbell to become members of its “Star Players” team. Josephy and Campbell are two of the top online poker players in the world; Josephy even won a WSOP bracelet. Michelle ignited a maelstrom of controversy by signing an endorsement deal with UB after being bought into the WSOP Main Event by Poker News owners. She was the last woman standing in the tournament, taking home well over $300,000.
Cheadle and Duke led the charge at the WSOP, serving as the organizers of the Ante Up for Africa tournament at the Rio. Among those in attendance were Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell, “Everybody Loves Raymond” namesake Ray Romano, “Oceans 11” actor Casey Affleck, his brother Ben Affleck, “The Bourne Identity” actor Matt Damon, and NBA star Charles Barkley.
Ultimate Bet is also tossing in several additional prizes into the six “Ante Up for Africa” tournaments. They include satellite seats for the Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic, Christian Audigier autographed shirts, and iAmplify Phil Hellmuth White belt to Black belt courses. Gas cards, magazine subscriptions, and other prizes will be put into the mix, creating a unique buzz on Ultimate Bet.
Only the tournament fees, which are normally taken by Ultimate Bet, will go to Ante Up for Africa. However, you’ll note that the tournament fees are higher for these events. The player buy-ins will still go towards the prize pools, making the payouts exactly the same as in other multi-table tournaments held on the online poker room. Here is a look at the schedule:
Friday, August 15th
8:00pm ET – $10+10
9:00pm ET – $20+20
Saturday, August 16th
5:00pm ET – $20+20
6:00pm ET – $10+10
Sunday, August 17th
5:00pm ET – $10+10
6:00pm ET – $20+20
Players can also donate to Ante Up for Africa by going to the “Scheduled Tournaments” tab in the UB lobby, clicking on “Private,” and then selecting “Ante Up for Africa Donations.”
Ultimate Bet is the home of a weekly $250,000 guaranteed tournament, which takes place every Sunday. Right now, UB is running a bevy of promotions for the Aruba Poker Classic, which takes place on the sunny Caribbean island on September 27th. The tournament was previously a stop on the World Poker Tour. Previous winners include Juha Helppi, Erick Lindgren, Eric Brenes, and Freddie Deeb. Last year’s winner pocketed $800,000.
