In the wake of the devastation that has ripped through the Gulf Coast region as a result of Hurricane Katrina, online poker room Absolute Poker is launching an online tournament benefiting the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief effort. Absolute Poker is offering a range of charity tournaments, with tables starting at $1, and going all the way up to $100. For all money gathered in the charity tournaments, Absolute Poker will match the buy-in with a donation of the same amount. These are not real-money tournaments, as money collected will not be awarded in prizes, but rather, will be donated to help the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. Alternatively, players who want to donate money, but who prefer to skip out on the tournament, can donate money directly through the Absolute Poker cashier.

Earlier this year, Absolute poker launched a somewhat similar initiative to raise money for Asia's Tsunami calamity, which hit in December, 2004. Absolute Poker succeeded in raising more than $14k for Tsunami victims in Indonesia. As is the case with the current fund-raising effort, the Tsunami charity tournament initiative donated the money to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

More information on the charity tournaments is available at Absolute Poker, www.absolutepoker.com.

Source:  Poker777 Staff

Thursday, 01 September 2005