Annie Duke is lending her name and prestige to help promote a poker tournament to benefit homeless youth and domestic violence victims.  Again, one of those blog stories I run to help show how poker players work to benefit the communities they live in. 

Annie Duke is a recognized name in the world of poker and played her first World Series of Poker tournament in 1994 where she knocked her brother out of the playing field. No there’s a cause for sibling rivalry. She spent the next decade establishing her reputation as a poker player, moving to Las Vegas so she could pursue a professional poker career.  It worked because she won her first WSOP bracelet in 2004.  She now serves as a consultant for UltimateBet.com and is sought after as a poker coach.  She even works with stars like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

The poker tournament will be a Texas Hold ‘em Tournament taking place on Saturday, April 2 at the Bicycle Club Casino in Bell Gardens, California.   The proceeds from the event will benefit the 1736 Family Crisis Center in Los Angeles.  The center runs an emergency youth shelter as well as domestic  violence shelters which are completely dependent on grants and donations.  The buy in for the tournament is $350 with $100 re buys available for the first hour, in case you hit an early losing streak.  First prize is $10,000 but second prize is a private poker lesson with Annie Duke. 

Even if we can’t make it to California to play in the tournament, remember that we can always look to see who need help in our own communities.  Make a local donation next time you win a hand.