Giving to charity the old fashioned way — with Hollywood stars and gambling. Suck it, Live Aid. (Photos by Erik Kabik | Retna)

Phil Gordon dragged $129,086 in the celebrity Ante Up for Africa poker tourney at the World Series of Poker, and then gave the whole wad back to the charity. This is why we don’t play in charity tournaments. We’d keep pretty much all of it, and then have tournament organizers running after it like we were the Hamburglar. Embezzle bezzle!

The tourney raised more than $275,000 in total, with American Pie actress Shannon Elizabeth capturing second. Co-organizers Don Cheadle and Annie Duke were in the field, plus Matt Damon, Brad Garrett, Montel Williams, David Alan Grier, Evander Holyfield, Jerome Bettis, Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch, Howard Lederer, Phil Gordon, Phil Ivey, John Hennigan, Joe Hachem, Michael Mizrachi, Rafe Furst and Erik Seidel.

The Main Event of the Series started with day 1-A yesterday and will do four Day 1s in all. The first, and smallest field of the start days drew 1,125 players. Day 1-B just started at noon and we haven’t seen an attendance total yet, but the Series overall claims 63,706 entrants through the first 55 events — up from last year’s 52,880 — and a prize pool more than $100 million. Hooray, economic recovery!

By Jason Scavone

So much better than being stuck at a table with Jason Alexander. (Photos by Erik Kabik)

Ante Up for Africa heads into its fourth year Saturday at 2 p.m., with its usual mix of pros and Hollywood’s clique of poker nerds. If you’re going to railbird just one event this year, make it one where you can keep making “How do you like them apples?” jokes to your friends.

Don Cheadle and Annie Duke are behind the $5,000 tournament, which this year will feature Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Evander Holyfield, Brad Garrett, Ray Romano, Kenny Smith, and Sara Rueand among the celebs. Last year, the tournament pulled in $362,000 and has raised almost $3 million since it started to benefit Darfur and other causes.

Last week, the charity awarded two $50,000 grants to support Affleck’s Eastern Congo Initiative and Damon’s Water.org.

By Jason Scavone

‘Hey I got an idea for Good Will Hunting 2: Hunt Harder.’ (Photo by Erik Kabik. Additional photos by Kabik, Scott Harrison | Retna)

Cue up Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Sarah Silverman, Jason Alexander, Charles Barkley, Brad Garrett, Cedric The Entertainer, Dean Cain, Herschel Walker, Kenny Smith, Matt Damon, Montel Williams and Doug Benson. They were all at the third Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament yesterday prior to the start of the Main Event at the World Series of Poker.

Since its inception the tourney has raised more than $2 million for Darfur, or something. We’re really not sure. Unless that has something to do with Michael Jackson, we’re really not sure what’s going on. Apparently Darfur has a shortage of poker players. Or cake. Or something. This year the haul was $362,000.

“I’m here for Ante-Up for Africa and it’s all about Darfur,” Silverman said. “Genocide is happening and we always hear about the Holocaust in school and we say that will never happen now, we would never let that happen again, but it’s happening right now. And I’ll tell you something else. I think if this was happening in France or England, that … would be taken care of!”

Alex Bolotin of Brooklyn, NY, won the $177,730 first-place prize and donated half his winnings to ENOUGH Project and International Rescue Committee. Adam Richardson was second and Rafe Furst took third. None of the celebs cashed. Bunch of pikers.
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By Jason Scavone