PokerWorks

Ante Up for Africa has held several charity poker tournaments to date and raised close to $2 million to aid victims of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Headed up by poker pro Annie Duke and actor Don Cheadle, the organization’s tournaments have been wildly successful in raising funds and awareness. Ante Up for Africa has now teamed up with PokerStars and the European Poker Tour to host a charity tournament in Monte Carlo on April 27th just the start of the EPT’s Grand Finale.

Though Ante Up for Africa gained much recognition through its work with the World Series of Poker and plans to continue holding its charity tournaments in conjunction with WSOP events, the non-profit organization is now also working with PokerStars to host its first event at the location of an EPT event. The €4,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament will take place in the middle of the EPT Grand Final week in Monaco, on the eve of the series’ Season V Grand Finale Main Event. The tournament plans to put the cards in the air at 6pm on April 27.

Ante Up for Africa tournaments have quickly become known to draw famous names to their events, with typically as many well-known poker pros as Hollywood celebrities. Though most celebrities may not make the trip to Monte Carlo for this event, several Team PokerStars Pros have added their names to the list of confirmed guests, including Daniel Negreanu, Joe Hachem, and Vanessa Rousso, and more are likely to attend as the event approaches.

All of the prize money from the tournament will be donated to Ante Up for Africa, so prizes will be donated for the winning players. The ultimate champion will receive a prize package that includes travel and the buy-in to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas in January of 2010.

With a clear focus on helping survivors of the crisis in Darfur, Sudan, Ante Up for Africa works in conjunction with two other organizations - Enough, which works to end genocide and crimes against humanity; and Not On Our Watch, which focuses global attention and resources toward putting an end to mass atrocities around the world. The goal of Ante Up for Africa, aside from seeing an end to the inhumanities occurring in Darfur, hope to put a spotlight on the problem and efforts of peacekeepers and aid workers who are there assisting the victims. To date, approximately 400,000 people have died and nearly 4 million people have been displaced as refugees along the Chad/Sudan border and other surrounding areas in Africa.

According to the Ante Up for Africa website, there have been some improvements made with regard to Darfur since the 2008 WSOP tournament, such as the authorization of the deployment of peacekeeping troops to the region and new discussions between a U.S. envoy and the Sudanese government. In addition, the International Criminal Court has indicted two Sudanese officials who perpetuated the crisis. But the organization notes that the urgency of the situation is far from over, as more people die and become homeless - and displaced refugees - every day.

For more information, visit www.AnteUpForAfrica.org.