A charity poker tournament in New York City brought players together on Wednesday night to raise money for three nonprofit organizations ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
The Operators Collective hosted its Charity Casino Night on September 9, with a $1,000 poker tournament forming part of the invite-only event. Former Navy SEAL Rob O’Neill was among the guests scheduled to attend.
$1,000 Poker Tournament Offered WSOP Trip
Players entering the No Limit Hold’em tournament paid $1,000 for their seat, with rebuys available during the event. The wider evening also included table games, a charity auction, food, entertainment and a cigar bar.
There was a significant poker prize waiting for the eventual champion.
First place was set to receive a Las Vegas WSOP VIP package featuring business-class flights, five-star hotel accommodation and entry into a World Series of Poker tournament. It gave the fundraiser a direct connection to the World Series of Poker, where tournament packages can provide recreational players with an opportunity to experience poker’s biggest annual festival.
Guests who did not want to play in the tournament could attend through a separate $500 dinner ticket. Sponsorship packages were also available, with the highest level priced at $100,000.
Poker Night Supported Three Charities
Money raised during the event supported JAR of Hope, the Patriot Cup Golf Series and the Community-Police Relations Foundation. The official Charity Casino Night event page also allowed people unable to attend to make a direct donation, with the organizers stating that 100% of those donations would support the beneficiaries.
JAR of Hope raises money and awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive genetic disorder that primarily affects boys. Its work includes funding research and providing support to children living with the condition and their families.
The Patriot Cup Golf Series supports members of the US military, law enforcement and first responder communities through its fundraising activities. The Community-Police Relations Foundation, meanwhile, works to strengthen relationships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
Poker has become a recurring vehicle for fundraising, with events ranging from local community tournaments to major celebrity games. Our look at poker raising money for charity includes events involving players such as Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth and Jennifer Tilly.
Those players have also helped connect charity fundraising with poker’s biggest stage. Daniel Negreanu’s poker career has included numerous charity appearances alongside his success at the highest levels of tournament poker.
Two US Charity Poker Events Took Place on September 9
The New York tournament was not the only charity poker fundraiser taking place in the United States on Wednesday.
Virginia also hosted the sixth annual Poker for Humanity fundraiser at River Creek Club in Leesburg. Organizers were targeting $100,000 for Loudoun Habitat for Humanity, with a $200 No Limit Texas Hold’em tournament forming part of the five-hour event.
The two fundraisers were very different in scale and purpose, but both demonstrated why poker works particularly well as a fundraising format. Buy-ins, rebuys, sponsorships and auctions can generate additional money while giving supporters an event to participate in rather than simply asking them for a donation.
Poker Event Came Ahead of 25th Anniversary of 9/11
September 11, 2026 will mark 25 years since the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.
The Operators Collective said its event was intended to honor those who lost their lives and those who served in the aftermath. Holding the fundraiser two days before the anniversary placed remembrance alongside the evening’s charitable purpose.
Poker’s ability to bring recognizable personalities, recreational players and sponsors together has made it a regular fixture at fundraising events. That crossover can also be seen in Phil Hellmuth’s poker career, with the record bracelet winner having appeared in numerous charity poker tournaments away from his usual pursuit of major titles.
For the players in New York, the immediate target was the WSOP package waiting for the tournament winner. For JAR of Hope, the Patriot Cup Golf Series and the Community-Police Relations Foundation, the more important result was how much the tables could raise.
