Charity Poker Tournament Confirms Vegas Isn’t All Sin

When you think of celebrating America, poker probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind — unless you’re in Vegas. Ante Up for Africa, an annual charity poker tournament that was part of the 41st Annual World Series of Poker, was all the rage for celebrities and poker enthusiasts yesterday. Now in its fourth year, the tournament, held at the Rio, raised more than $275,000 to help victims of the humanitarian crises in Africa.

Winner and professional poker player Phil Gordon was joined by 82 other players, including Shannon Elizabeth, who came in second, as well as Matt Damon, Annie Duke, David Allen Grier, Montel Williams and several other honorable mentions. Gordon’s winnings totaled $129,086, all of which he gave to back to the charity. The No-Limit Hold’em poker tournament required an entry fee of $5,000 and all of the in-the-money finishers donated a portion of their winnings to the charity.