The Ed Asner Family Centre is putting on a charity poker night in which donors can play and chat with celebrities.
Among the celebrities that you can play against for your suggested donation of $250 are Rosie O'Donnell, Ben Affleck, Don Cheadle, Jack Black, and CNN's Jake Tapper. The game will be played on June 12, 2021. Some newer additions to the lineup also include BD Wong, Diedrich Bader, Brad Garrett, and Holly Robinson Peete.
Donations will be going to a good cause. The Ed Asner Family Centre is a charity that focuses on helping neurodivergent individuals, their families, and their carers. Neurodivergence is a recent addition to the lexicon and is a catch-all term for those with atypical neurological development.
The term is most frequently applied to those who are on the autistic spectrum or who have ADHD, dyslexia, Tourettes, or similar conditions. The broadest casting of the net sometimes also catches people with OCD, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and left-handed folks.
The center describes itself as "a one-stop shop for neurodivergent individuals and their families seeking wholeness in all attitudes of life. The Center acts as an oasis of balance and thought, of interaction and education. Most importantly, The Center gives children and adults of all levels of ability a chance at dignity, confidence, and self-respect."
Now seems to be a good time for online charity poker events, with several on the go at once.
What's going on?
The charity tournament will be hosted on Poker 501, "a social play poker platform for entertainment purposes." Poker501 integrates video chat with the player avatars, making table talk seamless. So you'll be able to let Ben Affleck know exactly what you thought of Batman v. Superman. That's gotta be worth $250 to someone out there.
Poker501 can only support tourneys of up to 250 players, which puts a pretty hard cap on the event's size. As a result, the odds are good that there will be some serious competition for the remaining tickets.
Phil Gordon and Maria Ho will be hosting, and playing.
Phil Gordon is looking forward to the event, tweeting, "Who wants to play some poker with me, Ed Asner, and tons of celebs - even @DaveSFoley is playing! Let’s do this, folks! Great cause!"
The Ed Asner Family Center tweeted about the event, too. "Celebrity Poker Night will be epic! Our online platform allows you to see and speak with competitors in real time. Visit http://pokerwithED.com to secure a seat and grab our Early Bird Special!"
The early bird special referred to ends on May 15, 2021. Early bird tickets are $50. That's a significant discount on the $250 suggested donation for full price tickets. So, if you want to play. The earlier you get in, the better.
It should be noted that there don't appear to be any cash prizes.
The reward is entirely moral. That and being able to discuss the deep lore of Jurassic Park with BD Wong.
Featured image source: Flickr by Victoria Pickering
