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"I bet you're going to try and cash those in!" sparred Jeff Fenech in the direction of Evander Holyfield.
"You know, you're probably right!" Holyfield added.
The two then began throwing a few . . . let's say inaudible and unbloggable . . . words towards each other before Fenech made his way to his chair.
For the record, Holyfield and Fenech never had fought due to separate weight divisions, but both seem to still share an intense rivalry!
In the inaugural running of the Ante Up for Africa, a mammoth $811,620 prizepool was created with Dan Shak proving victorious to walk home with the $243,893 first place cheque.
In 2008, Shak would make the final table, but it would be John Hennigan besting the 88-player field to collect the $136,860 first prize.
Last year saw Hennigan repeat Shak's feat of winning one year and then making the final table the next, but he wouldn't be able to stop Alex Bolotin in defeating the 137-player field for a first prize of $176,449.
The questions are . . . will Bolotin make the final table like the previous winners before him and who will be the 2010 champion?
Each player will receive a 10,000-chip starting stack.
The first eight levels will last twenty minutes, with level nine and beyond being shortened to just fifteen minutes in length.
The plan is to play down to a winner, with that time expected to be around 7:00 pm PST.
Level: 1
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 0
Jack Effel gave the opening remarks, talking about all of the world's problems that are bigger than the little world of poker. He specifically mentioned wars, terrorism, hurricanes and the Gulf oil spill. Then he said, in light of all of these problems, "It's a fair question to ask do we still need Ante Up for Africa? I have five words to answer that question. Yes, now more than ever."
He then passed the microphone to co-hosts Don Cheadle and Annie Duke. Cheadle thanked everyone for being here. Duke reminded the players that, due to Nevada law, the WSOP cannot withhold any of the prize pool for charity -- it's up to the winning players to make donations out of what they win. She asked for their generosity when it comes time to collect payouts at the cage.
This year, bracelets have been donated for the 1st-place and 2nd-place winner thanks to the generosity of Howard Lederer and his wife Suzie.
There's a bit of pandemonium in the White Section of the Pavilion Room as players are making their entrance (through a side door) while Jack Effel is conducting today's bracelet ceremony for Event 53 winner Ryan Welch. Media are everywhere and celebrities are primping themselves, all while the Star-Spangled Banner blares out over the PA system.
The tournament is scheduled to start at 2pm. Given the celebrity nature of this event, it's no surprise that things are being delayed. We're now told there's going to be a bracelet ceremony at 2:15pm here in the Pavilion Room, and that the tournament will get started after that.
Welcome back to the Rio and the World Series of Poker for the $5,000 Ante Up for Africa Poker Tournament!
This is the fourth annual Ante Up For Africa Celebrity-Charity poker tournament. It is open to anyone that wants to sit down and battle it out with seasoned veterans or celebrities. It's generally expected that participants will donate a portion of any of their winnings to the Ante Up for Africa charity, which is dedicated to raising money and awareness for Africans in need. AUFA raises public awareness and funds to make a tangible impact on the ground in Africa through humanitarian assistance and policy work. The organization seeks lasting solutions to Africa��s worst conflicts like the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.
Some of the celebrities that will be in attendance include Don Cheadle, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Brad Garrett, Montel Williams, Ron Artest and Evander Holyfield. Throw in Annie Duke, Howard Lederer, Erik Seidel, Phil Gordon, Andy Bloch and Chris Ferguson, and you have a chance of playing with a truly all-star line up.
PokerNews will again be providing continuous live coverage from 2:00 pm PST, so don't go anywhere as we look to crown another champion while also trying to raise money and awareness for a great cause!
$5,000 Ante Up For Africa Poker Tournament
Day 1 Started
