Poker is usually played with one simple objective: win the money on the table.
But in LaGrange, Georgia, next month, some of that money will be going somewhere rather different.
The LaGrange-Troup County Humane Society is preparing to hold a Texas hold’em fundraiser on September 12, using poker to raise money for animals in its care and help maintain a free pet food pantry for local residents.
It is a small community event, but one that continues a surprisingly long tradition of poker being used to raise money for good causes.
From a few tables in a local restaurant to million-dollar buy-in tournaments in Las Vegas, charity and poker have crossed paths countless times.
Poker Night for the Dogs
The Humane Society has partnered with Georgia Poker Nights for its “A Friend in Need” fundraiser at the Brickhouse Grille in downtown LaGrange.
Players will compete for a share of the money raised, while the remaining proceeds will support the Humane Society and its animals.
There will also be rebuys, an add-on at the final table and 50/50 raffles, while buying food at the venue can earn players additional chips.
The organisation hopes the benefits will go beyond the money raised on the day.
Its work includes a pet food pantry that helps owners struggling with the cost of feeding their animals, while the poker event also provides an opportunity to introduce more people to pets currently awaiting adoption.
It is a good example of why poker can work particularly well as a fundraising tool.
Instead of simply asking somebody for a donation, a charity can turn fundraising into an event. Players get competition, entertainment and the possibility of winning something themselves, while the organisation receives money and potentially reaches an entirely new audience.
At the other end of the scale, poker has generated millions for charitable causes.
When a $1 Million Poker Tournament Became a Fundraiser
Perhaps no relationship between poker and charity has been bigger than the one between the World Series of Poker and the One Drop Foundation.
Founded by Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberté, One Drop works to improve access to safe water.
In 2012, the WSOP staged the inaugural Big One for One Drop with an extraordinary $1 million buy-in. Of each entry, $111,111 was designated for the charity.
The numbers quickly became enormous.
By 2014, WSOP initiatives including the Big One for One Drop, Little One for One Drop and voluntary player donations had generated $5.27 million for the charity in that year alone.
That included more than $4.66 million from the 42 entries into the $1 million Big One.
One Drop later announced that its poker events had passed $25 million raised by 2022.
Few sports or games can turn a tournament entry fee into a charitable contribution of more than $100,000 from a single participant. High-stakes poker made that possible.
Hollywood Went All In for Africa
Poker’s usefulness as a fundraiser has also attracted people far beyond the professional game.
In 2007, actor Don Cheadle and poker professional Annie Duke created Ante Up for Africa, bringing celebrities and poker players together at the World Series of Poker to raise awareness and money for people affected by the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
The first WSOP event raised more than $700,000.
The expected field demonstrated the pulling power of combining celebrity with poker. Names associated with the event included Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, George Clooney, Adam Sandler and Charles Barkley alongside poker stars including Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel and Doyle Brunson.
Jennifer Tilly, whose career has made her one of the most recognisable figures to successfully cross between Hollywood and professional poker, was also among the celebrities expected to participate.
The concept continued beyond Las Vegas. A later Ante Up for Africa event held around the European Poker Tour brought together poker professionals, celebrities and sports stars while raising substantial additional funds.
Poker was providing more than the money. Famous people sitting around a table created attention for a cause that might otherwise struggle to command the same audience.
Poker Went Online for Charity Too
That principle worked online as well.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a charity tournament called Stars CALL for Action brought celebrities together at virtual poker tables while people around the world were largely confined to their homes.
The field included Bryan Cranston, Amy Schumer, Michael Cera, Jon Hamm, David Schwimmer, Edward Norton, Neymar Jr. and Cheadle.
PokerStars committed $10,000 for every celebrity taking part, creating a $1 million charitable prize pool.
It demonstrated another unusual quality poker has as a fundraising vehicle.
A charity game does not necessarily require thousands of spectators in an arena. Put interesting personalities around the same table and the game itself creates the entertainment.
Why Poker and Charity Work Together
Poker might appear an unlikely partner for charitable fundraising. After all, money is fundamental to the game.
That may actually be part of the reason it works.
A tournament naturally creates several opportunities to raise funds. Part of a buy-in can go to charity. Players can donate winnings. Rebuys and add-ons generate additional contributions. Organisers can add auctions and raffles, while sponsors can match the money players raise.
There is also something poker offers that a conventional fundraising dinner cannot: a competition.
Someone who might not attend a charity gala may happily buy into a poker tournament. Professional players can compete alongside complete beginners, while celebrities give spectators another reason to pay attention.
The sums involved do not have to be enormous either.
Not Every Charity Poker Game Needs Million-Dollar Stakes
The contrast between the Big One for One Drop and the upcoming Humane Society fundraiser in Georgia could hardly be greater.
One featured a $1 million buy-in and some of the richest and most successful poker players in the world. The other will take place over a few hours in a local restaurant.
But the basic idea is identical.
Get people around a poker table, give them something to play for and direct some of the money towards people, animals or communities that need it.
Poker understandably spends much of its time celebrating enormous prizes. Tournament reporting revolves around guarantees, final tables and seven-figure scores. The biggest personalities in poker are often measured by bracelets, titles and career earnings.
Those numbers tell only part of the game’s relationship with money.
Sometimes the most important pot of the day is the one that nobody at the table gets to take home.
