2nd ANNUAL ANTE UP FOR AFRICA POKER TOURNAMENT AT THE WSOP
RAISES Public Awareness And Funds
To Help End The Crisis In Darfur
Celebrities and poker pro John "World" Hennigan give it all back!
Las Vegas (July 16, 2008) - The 2nd Annual Ante Up For Africa celebrity poker tournament hosted by Don Cheadle and Annie Duke took place on Wednesday, July 2nd at the 2008 World Series of Poker held at the RioŽ All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
The tournament raised awareness and close to half a million dollars for Ante Up For Africa's designated charities: ENOUGH, www.enoughproject.org, and Not On Our Watch, www.notonourwatchproject.org.
Poker professionals and celebrities alike were all-in for the No Limit Texas Hold 'em Poker Tournament. In addition to Duke and Cheadle, other players included celebrities Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Ray Romano, Adam Sandler, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, George Lopez, Casey Affleck, Jason Alexander, Montel Williams, Shannon Elizabeth, Mekhi Phifer, Scott Ian from Anthrax, Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains and Joe Trohman from Fall Out Boy; along with poker pros, Howard Lederer, Phil Hellmuth, Erick Seidel, Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Greg Raymer, Phil Laak, and Andy Bloch among others.
"As we have seen with the recent developments in Darfur, time is of the essence", said the organization's co-founder, Don Cheadle. "We all feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity with our second tournament to continue to shine a light on a very dire crisis and lend our voices and energy toward seeking a solution."
"We were delighted to once again host Ante Up For Africa at the World Series of Poker", said Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the World Series of Poker. "This was an exceptional and meaningful afternoon shared with some of the biggest names in gaming and entertainment who gave their valuable time to help ease the calamity in Darfur."
The winner of the tournament, top professional poker player, John "World" Hennigan, was the recipient of a stunning Corum Romulvs watch. In a generous gesture, Hennigan donated 100% of his $169,000 winnings back to the charities as did second place finisher Michael DeGusta and money winners, Ray Romano, Casey Affleck and Phil Hellmuth.
Following the tournament, the poker pros and celebrities celebrated at the exclusive Ante Up For Africa after party held at PURE nightclub.
ENOUGH, www.enoughproject.org, is a project of the Center for American Progress, which aims to end crimes against humanity in Darfur, Northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and to prevent future mass atrocities wherever they occur and also Not On Our Watch, www.notonourwatchproject.org, founded by actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt, has endeavored to focus global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities around the world.
For exclusive photos from this event, please contact Reid Rich.
About The World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker's longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2007, the event attracted more than 54,000 entrants from 87 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded just under $160 million in prize money as players competed for game's most coveted trophy, a WSOP bracelet. Harrah's License Company, LLC., an affiliate of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. has owned and operated the WSOP since 2004 and over the last four years, fostered an increase in player participation by nearly 300-percent. In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.
About Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino is a Harrah's Entertainment resort. The Rio offers guests a unique all-suite hotel experience. Complete with 2,563 all-suite hotel rooms, the property overlooks the famous Las Vegas Strip, one block west on Flamingo Road. A sand beach surrounds the edge of the Rio's tropical lagoon, complete with waterfalls, four nautical-shaped swimming pools and five Jacuzzi-style spas. The Rio boasts 16 dining outlets, three lounges, two performance theatres (Penn & Teller Theater and the Chippendales Theater), Spa/Health Club/Beauty Salon, 23 retail outlets, nine luxury Palazzo Suites and three nightclubs.
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