PokerWorks

The chip leader going into the 2008 World Series of Poker final table in November, Dennis Phillips, is already planning something positive with a portion of his yet-to-be-determined winnings. He will be donating 1% of his final prize money to the Prevent Cancer Foundation as part of the “Bad Beat on Cancer” fundraising effort.

“Bad Beat on Cancer” is a philanthropic endeavor carried on by poker pros Phil Gordon and Rafe Furst, who take their efforts to the WSOP in Las Vegas each summer with one request to all poker players: Donate 1% of your winnings in any WSOP tournament to the Prevent Cancer Foundation to raise funds for cancer prevention, research, and community outreach. Since the campaign began in 2003, more than $2 million has been raised.

At the 2008 WSOP, Gordon took the microphone at the point in the main event that all remaining 666 players had made the money; he asked everyone to consider donating 1% of their winnings to the charity by signing a pledge form to do so. One of the players who accepted that challenge was Dennis Phillips, and while he certainly wasn’t the only one doing so at the time, by the time Phillips reached the final table, he was the only one of the last nine men wearing the “Bad Beat on Cancer” patch. In post-game interviews by his home town media outlets in St. Louis, he has been asked about his commitment and notes that he is happy to have made that pledge and intends to fulfill it upon the play down of the final table in November.

In a recent press release from PokerStars, Phillips said, “I am thrilled to contribute a portion of my WSOP earnings to the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Charity involvement has always been an important part of my life, and hopefully more poker players and final table participants will follow suit in upcoming poker circuits like the European Poker Tour and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.”

This donation to charity is not a first for Phillips, as he has been dedicated to several multiple sclerosis charities since his brother was diagnosed with MS.

The amount donated to the Prevent Cancer Foundation by Phillips could be as much as $182,000 if he continues his incredible WSOP run and takes his chip lead all the way to first place, wherein he will be awarded the top prize of $9,119,517. But no matter the end result at the WSOP, his chosen online poker site sponsor PokerStars has announced that they will match that donation dollar for dollar.

Team PokerStars pro and 2003 WSOP champion Chris Moneymaker commented, “Dennis Phillips is a stand-up guy who brings a positive feeling to the WSOP final table. Most guys get to the final table and just see a big pile of money and a new life. Dennis is just happy to be playing poker and sees an opportunity to help others. His efforts are inspiring to the poker community and I’m excited to see how it all turns out in November.”

The 2008 WSOP main event finalists return to Las Vegas on November 9th to play down to the last two players standing, both of whom will play heads-up on November 10th to determine the winner. The action will then be aired on ESPN on the evening of November 11th, 2008.

To play with pros like Moneymaker and Phillips, a potential world champion of poker, download PokerStars and use the marketing code “POKERWORKS” upon registration, then the bonus code “First2008” when making the first deposit to receive $25 free and a 100% bonus up to $50.