Celebrities Hank Azaria & Andy Belling Team Up With PokerStars For ‘Stars CALL for Action’ Online Charity Tournament

The poker community has been doing its bit to help out with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) relief efforts. After the charity celebrity poker tournaments hosted by Run It Once Poker (RIOP) and America’s Cardroom (ACR), PokerStars has also decided to step up for the cause with its ‘Stars CALL for Action’ charity event.

Comedian and poker enthusiast Hank Azaria, along with screenwriter Andy Belling came up with the idea for a charity poker event. They approached PokerStars for a donation, but it quickly turned into a collaborative effort. The poker site is now hosting the tournament and donating $1 Million to the cause.

The online poker tournament will be hosted at PokerStars with a live broadcast on Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube. International stars will turn their cameras on as they take their seats at the virtual table, and poker lovers the world over will be able to join hosts James Hartigan and Lex Veldhuis as they follow the action while dropping in on crowd favorites. Viewers will also be able to contribute to the cause via a ‘donate’ button on their platform of choice.

Spaces are limited and celebrities already registered include Edward Norton (played “Worm” in poker classic Rounders), Brian Koppelman (writer of Rounders), Amy Schumer, Don Cheadle, Michael Cera, Jeff Garlin, David Schwimmer, Eric Bogosian, Jason Alexander, Brad Garrett, Michael Ian Black, Tony Yazbeck, Max Kruse, and many more.

Celebrities who had participated in the ‘All-In For Feeding America’ online poker tournament last month, like Bryan Cranston, Jon Hamm and Kevin Pollak will also be featuring in this event.

The top placed celebrities will direct their portions of $1 Million, donated by PokerStars, to a charity of their choosing. Fifty percent of the total donation will go directly to Care International on behalf of those playing, as well as all the proceeds donated via the live stream. Grants to charities will be administered by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a Charity Navigator Four-Star Charity that meets all 20 BBB Charity Standards.

A blog posted on the PokerStars platform dated May 5, gave out more details regarding the upcoming event.

Talking about the charity event, Azaria said, “This event is a great way to combine genuine giving where it’s needed with a way to stay home and yet still connect with people from around the world. A friendly game of poker reminds us how life used to be, which hopefully we get back to soon. It’s a way for people to interact for a good cause and enjoy themselves at the same time. The response has been really great, and I’ll tell you, when PokerStars stepped up like that, I was actually kind of moved by it. We were hoping they’d put in some money, but to basically finance the whole thing to the tune of a million dollars, is pretty incredible.”

To add a little extra competition, PokerStars is surprising players and fans by giving them the opportunity to play against the stars. PokerStars Ambassadors, streamers and celebrities will hold community giveaways and those chosen will battle it out on May 9 to direct further donations to Care International.

Two fields – celebrities and players – will then play down to their respective final tables and combine for the ultimate showdown. Celebrities who get knocked out early will be added to a side event.

Associate Director of Public Relations at PokerStars, Rebecca McAdam Willetts, sharing her enthusiasm regarding the tournament, said, “This event began as a simple conversation between our team, Hank, Andy and the Entertainment Industry Foundation as a way to create positive entertainment and raise support for critical causes during these challenging times. We were thrilled that they came to us and have been blown away by the momentum it’s gained. With people increasingly using our products to connect, compete, and stay social while safe at home, we are delighted to show how the game we love can be used to bring people together and do good… with the added bonus of surprising some poker fans along the way.”

“We are honored to serve as a partner to artists in our community to help raise funds – and spirits – during this time,” said Regina Miller, Chief Strategy Advisor to the Entertainment Industry Foundation. “With PokerStars setting the stage and Hank and Andy leading the charge, we are looking forward to a fun-filled night of fundraising to benefit people across the world.”