Academy Award winners Matt Damon and Ben Affleck will return to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas this year for the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) Ante Up for Africa charity tournament. The $5,000 buy-in event is slated for July 3rd.
Ante Up for Africa co-founder and UB.com pro Annie Duke was elated to hear that Damon and Affleck would be attending this year’s charity gala, commenting in a press release, “We are very excited to have Matt and Ben already confirmed to participate in our Fourth Annual WSOP Ante Up For Africa poker tournament. We look forward to hearing from more big names in the gaming and entertainment industries as they come on board to give their valuable time and energy and help bring attention to the dire crisis taking place in areas in Africa like Darfur.” Last year, the Ante Up for Africa event aired as part of ESPN’s coverage of the WSOP.
In 2009, a total of 137 players entered the Ante Up for Africa event at the Rio. In the end, Alex Bolotin took down the title and $176,000 first place prize, while Adam Richardson landed in second. Others in the top 10 included Rafe Furst, Erik Seidel, Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Jennifer Harman, and John “World” Hennigan. The tournament attracted several A-list celebrities, including Charles Barkley, Mike Tyson, Sarah Silverman, Doug Benson, Jason Alexander, Montel Williams, and Brad Garrett. Many who finished in the money donated all or part of their winnings to the charity.
Alexander, of “Seinfeld” fame, finished 10th in the 2007 installment of the Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament. Last year on the red carpet at the Rio, fellow actor Damon told Poker News Daily, “They’ve raised over $2 million so far and we know where the money is going. The Enough Project is fantastic. There’s a lot of transparency there, so we know where the money goes. It’s a terrific cause to give to and hopefully it’s making a difference.” The Enough Project is one of the key beneficiaries of Ante Up for Africa.
Damon’s acting credits include 1998’s “Rounders,” a cult classic that increased awareness of Texas Hold’em throughout the poker community. One year prior, Damon and Affleck won Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay for “Good Will Hunting.” After appearing in hits like “Dogma” and “Saving Private Ryan,” Damon went on to lend his name to the “Bourne” and “Oceans 11” series as well as films like “The Departed” and “Invictus.”
Many were turned onto Affleck following his role in 1995’s “Mallrats.” He also appeared in “Armageddon,” “Boiler Room,” “Pearl Harbor,” and “Daredevil.” He starred in the casino hit “Smokin’ Aces” in 2007 opposite Jeremy Piven and Jason Bateman and appeared in three movies in 2009: “He’s Just Not That Into You,” “State of Play,” and “Extract.”
In 2009, a bevy of poker’s elite turned out for the annual Ante Up for Africa charity tournament during the WSOP. Last year’s entourage included 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, former “Amazing Race” contestant Tiffany Michelle, Team PokerStars Pro member Humberto Brenes, former MIT Blackjack Team member Andy Bloch, Greg “FBT” Mueller, Jennifer Harman, Barry Greenstein, Robert Williamson III, and Full Tilt Poker’s Howard Lederer. Hellmuth regularly serves as the event’s emcee and will also front the upcoming Derby Poker Championship next week prior to the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby.
To date, the fundraising prowess of Duke and Ante Up for Africa co-founders Don Cheadle and Norman Epstein has resulted in over $3 million in proceeds. Duke played for Refugees International, another beneficiary of Ante Up for Africa, during her appearance on the NBC reality series “Celebrity Apprentice” last year.
