Phil Gordon Wins 2010 Ante Up for Africa Poker Tournament

The 2010 Ante Up For Africa poker tournament, hosted by Don Cheadle and Annie Duke, took place at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino on July 3, 2010 (Pictured above: Shannon Elizabeth, Norman Epstein, Don Cheadle, Annie Duke and Tournament Champ Phil Gordon – Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com).

Photo: © Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com.

The event was part of the 41st Annual World Series of Poker, raising more than $275,000 to aid the victims of the humanitarian crises in Africa. First place went to professional poker player Phil Gordon, who won a total of $129,086 and donated 100 percent back to the charity.

“I always wanted to win an event at the World Series of Poker,” Gordon said after his win. “Of course, it had to be a non-gold bracelet event.” He has made it to multiple final tables in the WSOP, but has yet to win a bracelet. Runner-up, actress Shannon Elizabeth, felt similarly after the tournament ended, “I wish the rest of my WSOP had gone the way this tournament went.”

Ante up for Africa attracted 83 players this year including Don Cheadle, Annie Duke, Matt Damon, Brad Garrett, Shannon Elizabeth, Montel Williams, David Alan Grier, Evander Holyfield, Jerome Bettis and poker pros Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch, Howard Lederer, Phil Gordon, Phil Ivey, John Hennigan, Joe Hachem, Michael Mizrachi, Rafe Furst and Erik Seidel. 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.

For more information about 2010 Ante Up For Africa, visit http://anteupforafrica.org/.