Suits star David Costabile defeated some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment in a star-studded poker tournament, raising $1,000,000 for charity.
Over the weekend, PokerStars put on the hotly-anticipated 'Stars CALL for Action' event, with the likes of The Simpsons' Hank Azaria, Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston, Superbad actor Michael Cera, and footballer Neymar Jr. competing for a share of the $1 million prize pot.
But in the end it was Costabile who managed to keep his nerve and top the list of 90 celebs who took part in the competition, which was live-streamed on Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube for fans to watch.
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Half of the $1m pot, as well as money donated by viewers, will go to Care International, which helps those living in poverty - while the other $500,000 will go to a charity of the winners' choosing.
Costabile has pledged his winnings to the World Central Kitchen, a charity that works to provide meals for those who have been affected by natural disasters.
In total, 24 players claimed donations for their charities of choice from the total prize fund. The final table of the main event looked like this:
- David Costabile- $100,000
- Douglas Costa - $75,000
- Jennifer Shahade (PokerStars Ambassador) - $40,000
- Casey Affleck - $30,000
- Chris Moneymaker (PokerStars Ambassador) - $20,000
- Mike Tindall - $15,000
The cast of Suits almost took a clean sweep, when Gabriel Macht went head-to-head with ex-England footballer Wayne Bridge for a $50,000 donation in the second chance, winner-takes-all event.
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However, the former Chelsea full-back came out on top and will send the $50,000 to The Little Roo Neonatal Fund.
And plenty of other celebrities, including Edward Norton, Don Cheadle, Macaulay Culkin, and Bryan Cranston, were able to make some money for their chosen charities.
Amy Schumer's sister, Kim Caramele, was one of six players to make it into the final from the 'Player Invitational', earning $10,000 for her chosen charity.
Hank Azaria said afterwards that it was a fantastic experience, stating he was just happy to take part and give something back to those who most need it.
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He said: "What an amazing day it was. I was genuinely moved to connect with so many people that I like and admire for such a wonderful cause and I remain blown away by how much PokerStars stepped up.
"They put up $10K towards COVID relief for every celebrity that participated and then, even though we didn't quite reach 100 celebrities, they went ahead and gave a full million dollars anyway which was really incredible. And I got to play some poker!"
Laurie Lee, CEO of CARE International UK, the official emergency relief partner of PokerStars since 2014, thanked everyone for taking part and helping support the valuable work these charities do.
"This partnership over the past six years means the world to us. With PokerStars' support we can respond quickly when emergencies strike, saving lives and delivering much-needed aid to vulnerable communities around the world," she said.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: World News, Entertainment, Interesting, Coronavirus, US Entertainment
