As the coronavirus pandemic forces more Americans into difficult financial situations , a string of high-profile celebrities is playing in the All In For America’s Charity stay-at-home poker tournament. As reported by Deadline , all of the proceeds will go to Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief program in the country.
The game starts at 11 a.m. Pacific Time Saturday and can be streamed via the America’s Cardroom Twitch account. Participants and organizers in the first game include Adam Levine , Adam Sandler , Ben Affleck , Bryan Cranston , Cheryl Hines, Doyle Brunson, Jason Mewes, Jon Hamm , Kevin Smith , Matt Damon , Tobey Maguire , Sarah Silverman , and Tom Brady .
The event centers around Texas Hold ’em and will be hosted by poker commentators Justin Kelly and Michael Loncar. In addition, the livestream of the event will offer viewers a unique chance to engage with the celebrity players, including trash talk.
The game will consist of 1 million starting chips with 1,000/2,000 blinds and a 200 ante. Per Deadline , two cards are dealt to each player facedown, followed by five cards face up on the table across three stages: the first three, the fourth card, and the fifth card.
Excited to announce that I have joined forces with @FeedingAmerica to raise money for folks who need it most. Join me and some familiar faces as we face off in a friendly online poker tournament. Watch live tomorrow from 11am PT. 100% of proceeds benefit Feeding America. pic.twitter.com/im3cuWYsCD
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) April 10, 2020
Affleck is helping launch the event and announced his participation on Friday morning.
“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 tweeted.
On Instagram, Affleck highlighted the fact that the event has already raised over $1 million and said all of these donations will go to Feeding America.
“Right now, their work is more critical than ever before so I hope you’ll be able to join us and watch along live.”
Smith took to Twitter to respond to Affleck’s comment and confirmed his attendance.
“I’ll be there, calling your pocket K’s with my 2/7 off-suit as I fish to the river like the donkey I am, yelling ‘PAY THAT MAN HIS MONEY!’ in a Russian accent when I win!”
As reported by KGO-TV , Feeding America recently partnered with Good Morning America for a Day of Hope on Thursday. The push reached out to viewers to provide them with food and also enlisted the help of those who can donate. The organization has a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in the United States, which reportedly give the organization the reach to provide service to every county and community in America. Using this network, the charity reportedly feeds 40 million people every year.
