When it comes to supporting a worthy cause, the poker community has never been afraid to put its money on the table when it matters most.
This past summer two of the most impactful voices in the game, WSOP Main Event champion Jamie Gold and the voice of the UFC and longtime poker player, Bruce Buffer, co-hosted the 14th annual Variety Poker & Casino Night, benefiting Variety: the Children’s Charity of Southern California, on the iconic Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood.
Founded in 1941, Variety: The Children’s Charity supports organizations which serve children in areas of healthcare, education, and mobility. They focus on transforming the lives of medically challenged, disadvantaged, and disabled children. Globally, they’ve delivered over two billion dollars in aid and support to provide critical resource services to more than 45,000,000 children.
Celebrities galore
This year’s exclusive invitation-only event drew 800 supporters to the famous studio lot and had 50 sponsors including Paramount, Disney, Universal, MGM, Regal, and Dolby.
“We came together to raise $250,000 today to help children across Southern California with disabilities, developmental challenges, and special needs,” shared Variety. “These funds will support Variety’s programs that provide adaptive equipment, mobility assistance, recreational opportunities, and essential resources that help children and families experience greater independence, inclusion, and opportunity.”
The sold out event drew a long list of Hollywood industry professionals and poker stars to support Variety and children across the state with special needs.
Television, film, and poker personalities packed the Variety Casino Night for two levels of poker tournaments which included Mehki Pfifer, Ray J, Princess Love, Nick Gonzales, Roger Cross, Tony Dennison, MC Gainey, Peter Facinelli, Bai Ling, Billy Burke, Alexis Knapp, WSOP Main Event champion Michael Mizrachi, Hustler Casino Live founder Ryan Feldman, and members of the poker media.
“The highlight of the evening was presenting six adaptive bicycles to six amazing kids,” shared 2006 WSOP champ Jamie Gold. “These bikes represent so much more than mobility. They mean independence, confidence, inclusion, and the simple joy of being able to ride alongside friends and family.”
Gold is one of the most memorable WSOP Main Event champions in its 56 year history. He held the chiplead for a record setting 8 of 10 days of the marathon event, eventually capturing the title and a $12,000,000 payday.
For his entire poker career, he has been one of the most generous poker celebrities and players to give back to the game by hosting a myriad of charity events over the last 23 years. He has been the host of Variety – the Children’s Charity, at Paramount Studios since the event’s inception in 2012.
Women dominate the final table
As luck would have it, and hopefully a little skill, myself and Tiffany Michelle survived a field of more than 200 players in the high stakes section to reach the final table of eight players.
And that’s where something unusual happened. Seven of the eight finalists were women. I was the last man standing.
How often does that happen? Almost never; if ever.
My run ended in third place, while Princess Love went on to capture the title and was offered her choice of a Delta Air Lines and CLEARiT package or a bankroll to appear on a future Hustler Casino Live stream. Princess Love chose the livestream.
In the end, it was a reminder of what poker can do at its best: bring people together around a table, to share a few laughs, compete for a few pots, and turn a love for the game into something that matters far beyond the felt.
Follow Jamie on X.
