Online poker room, sports book, and casino Bodog has opened up betting lines for the Ante Up for Africa event held as part of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). The tournament kicks off on July 2nd and is expected to last five hours.
The event will become part of ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 WSOP, joining the $40,000 buy-in tournament commemorating the Series’ 40th running, the Champions Invitational, and the Main Event. Viewers can tune into ESPN on Tuesday, August 11th to catch all of the action from the Ante Up for Africa fundraiser. The charity was founded by “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke, actor Don Cheadle, and Norman Epstein to generate money and awareness for victims of the crisis in Darfur. It raised over $2 million in its first two years after being founded in 2006. Duke raised over $730,000 for Refugees International on “Celebrity Apprentice” after finishing second in the reality series to comedian Joan Rivers.
Bodog asks potential bettors, “Which Celebrity will last longest in the 2009 Ante Up for Africa Tournament starting on July 2nd?” Leading the way at the time of writing is Cheadle, who is going off at 7:1 odds. The “Oceans Eleven” and “Crash” actor is a sponsored pro of Full Tilt Poker after signing with the site last month. “Rounders” star Matt Damon sits at 9:1 odds, tied with “Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander. The 1998 film “Rounders” turned many of today’s established superstars onto the game of poker. Alexander took 10th in the inaugural Ante Up for Africa charity tournament in 2007, cashing for $12,000 in the $5,000 buy-in event.
Basketball legends Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith are both fetching 10:1 odds. Barkley played in last year’s running of the Ante Up for Africa event and was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 1993 as a member of the Phoenix Suns. The Auburn University alum was an 11-time NBA All-Star. Smith graduated from the University of North Carolina and won back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995 with the Houston Rockets. Smith and Barkley are both NBA analysts for cable station TNT.
Montel Williams, Hank Azaria, and Casey Affleck are each going off at 8:1. At one point, Williams was the chip leader of the 2007 WSOP Main Event, but fell by the wayside on Day 2. Azaria voices several characters on “The Simpsons” animated series, including Apu, Moe, Chief Wiggum, and Duffman. Affleck also lent his name to the “Oceans Eleven” franchise and finished ninth in the Ante Up for Africa tournament last year for $16,000, an event ultimately won by John “World” Hennigan.
Two former “Celebrity Apprentice” contestants are available for betting. Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, whose suggestion to Rivers that she use celebrity impersonators on the show’s final task may have propelled the talk show host to victory, is going off at 9:1. Dennis Rodman, who was fired after a boardroom that centered on his alcohol abuse, is fetching 10:1 odds. Rodman won five NBA titles as a member of the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.
“Everybody Loves Raymond” actor Brad Garrett has 9:1 odds on his head. Garrett was a former winner on “Celebrity Poker Showdown” after defeating his original table, which included Curt Schilling, Catherine O’Hara, Sara Rue, and fellow “Everybody Loves Raymond” star Ray Romano. He then defeated Jason Alexander, Bonnie Hunt, Colin Quinn, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner in the season finale. Former NBA star Reggie Miller is also generating 9:1 odds. Joining him are actress Sarah Silverman and comedian Marlon Wayans.
Other celebrities slated to appear in the 2009 Ante Up for Africa event during the 2009 WSOP include Ben Affleck, Mekhi Phifer, Cedric The Entertainer, Tia Carrere, Danny Masterson, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Cheryl Hines, and Rob Schneider. Representing the poker world will be Phil Hellmuth, Howard Lederer, Tiffany Michelle, Andy Bloch, and Erik Seidel. More participants are expected to be announced.
