Poker Players Give Back

When you fi rst start playing poker opposite someone you’ve never met before, you try to get a handle on who they are as a player and as a person. Barry Greenstein is one of the many players I’ve come to know across the felt, so I’ve learned a little about poker from him. He also taught me something about charity, and I’ve tried to follow his lead when it comes to philanthropy.

In all the times I’ve played against Barry, I never heard him brag about his charity work even though he is one of poker’s biggest philanthropists. Considered by many to be one of the toughest cashgame players, one of the reasons this “Robin Hood of Poker” plays is because winning makes it possible for him to give to charities. He not only gives of his own winnings, but he also convinces others to get involved with charitable work. He certainly infl uenced me to get involved.

I think we need more people like Barry, so it is in “The Bear’s” honor that I undertake writing this new column. I hope to affect my readers the way Barry has affected me.

Each month, I’ll use this column to write about poker players, their charities, and the ways readers can make a difference in the lives of others through poker and charity. I will also include stories and previews of charity events that I attend, and I’ll offer tips for those looking to help better the world we live in.

I try to make as many charity events as my schedule allows, but it just isn’t possible to attend all the events that take place. Last year I participated in Jennifer Harman’s SPCA fundraiser and had a blast helping raise money to save Nevada animals. Unfortunately, I had a family commitment this year and missed the April tournament at the Venetian Poker Room in Las Vegas, but I hope I can make up for it by spreading the word about this worthy cause.

I encourage all readers who love animals to donate to the Nevada SPCA at Nevadaspca.org/donate.htm. The SPCA, a nonprofi t organization that helps save hundreds of animals a year from being euthanized, needs your support. The charity tournament may be over, but the stakes are still high for our animal friends, so I ask that you give what you can.

I recently caught up with Montel Williams when we played for Team USA in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, in the UK. He is doing a charity tournament at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas on Friday June 16, 2008, to benefi t The Montel Williams MS Foundation.

According to Montel, he and the Nugget established a relationship when he taped several of his talk shows there while he played in the World Series of Poker. He also mentioned the casino’s long-standing poker tradition and how people there have been a good friend to him and to the show.

If you want to play in this tournament, the buy-in is $1,080, with half going to the charity and half going to the prize pool. This event will have a group of celebrity players in attendance, as well as a strong poker pro contingency, with Suzie Issacs, Robert Williamson, Scott Fischman, and Thomas Keller having committed to attend. I’ll be there supporting the cause as well.

Giving back is so important in anything that you do, but you have to be responsible about how you allocate your donations. People should research the charities they are considering and fi gure out how those charities spend their contributions. Some charities are set up more to benefi t the people running them than the causes they say they work for. Some charities have names that sound impressive, so you have to be careful. Use the internet and fi nd out exactly where the money goes. Websites like Charitynavigator.org and Charitywatch.org can help you to fi nd out whether a charity is really benefi ting those truly in need.