Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s online celebrity poker tournament raised $1.75m for food banks
- Celebs such as Tom Brady, Adam Sandler and Bryan Cranston bought in for $10k apiece in food bank fundraiser
- Poker pro Ebony Kenney prevailed over veteran actor Kevin Pollak in contest
- Affleck said Feeding America’s ‘work is more critical than ever before’
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon led the charge as a number of big names anted up for All in For America’s Charity, a poker tournament they organized that raised $1.75 million for Feeding America, a nonprofit that distributes food to those in need amid the outbreak of COVID-19.
The online poker tournament that had a $10,000 buy-in and included celebrity entrants such as NFL icon Tom Brady, Uncut Gems leading man Adam Sandler and Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston.
Poker pro Ebony Kenney prevailed over veteran actor Kevin Pollak in the charity event, which pro poker commentators Justin Kelly and Michael Loncar hosted on Twitch.
Rounders: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon led the charge as a number of big names anted up for All in For America’s Charity, a poker tournament they organized that raised $1.75 million for Feeding America, a nonprofit that distributes food to those in need
Other notable names who sidled up to the virtual table included actresses Sarah Silverman and Cheryl Hines, singer Adam Levine, and actors Jason Bateman, Jon Hamm, Tobey Maguire, Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith
Affleck – father to daughters Violet, 14, and Seraphina, 11, and son Samuel, eight, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, 47 – took to Instagram earlier this week to announce the philanthropic poker event.
‘Excited to announce that I have joined forces with @FeedingAmerica, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, to raise money for folks who need it most,’ he said. ‘Join me and some familiar faces … as we face off in a friendly poker tournament.
Affleck, who’s currently dating actress Ana de Armas, 31, added that Feeding America’s ‘work is more critical than ever before’ as they help feed the less fortunate as the virus has put added pressure on food banks to help nourish the less fortunate.
Audible: New TB Bucs quarterback Tom Brady was among the stars who participated in the tourney
Impressive showings: Kevin Pollak finished in second, while Bryan Cranston came in fifth
The international pandemic has shut down theaters and studios, as Affleck’s latest movie, The Way Back, was moved to streaming services last month after its theatrical run was cut short amid the nationwide efforts to quell the spread of the virus.
In addition, a number of celebrities, including Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Idris Elba have tested positive for the virus.
All the chips: Poker pro Ebony Kenney prevailed over the famous field in the contest
All in: Suzanne Todd shared a shot of the festivities to Instagram
Other notable Hollywood names to test positive for coronavirus include actresses Olga Kurylenko, Debi Mazar and Rachel Matthews; and actors Kristofer Hivju and Daniel Dae Kim.
Performers to succumb to coronavirus-related symptoms include Jaws actress Lee Fierro, 91, Aliens actor Jay Benedict, 68, and Nashville actor Allen Garfield, 80.
As of Wednesday, the death total for COVID-19 was at 27,940 people in the U.S., with 632,878 total positive diagnoses, Johns Hopkins University reported. On a global level, 133,354 people have died amid 2,049,888 positive diagnoses worldwide.