[2_Towers]

This message is directed to the management of these 4 sites. Please immediately offer fundraising tournies to help aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina where 100% of the prize pool goes to the Red Cross or UnitedWay who are directly involved in this crisis. With the participation of all these sites we are sure to raise a bunch of money for the families that have been affected. If all 4 poker websites offer tournies it broadens the spectrum of people who can play. Please offer something to 1st where it attracts people with different bankrolls. This is also a plea to the Pocket 5's community to help. I understand there are many ways to contribute to the efforts but this could be our special way to show that poker players although from different backrounds and situations are 1 big family. So after I get some replies I will forward the entire thread to the management of all the sites and follow up with them. (Helen, Susie, Adam, Cal, Riley, Brv, Sheets, Bax, Legg, Supermoves, Seal, Wach, Doublelucky, Gank, Fox, Jsup, LL2, nip/tuck, JJprod, sepslugs, Kill-bill, Samenole, Walrus, cmitch, utterczar) Thats just a short few but please rebly so maybe we can get them to recognize the importance of this! thank you guys in advance. 2T

[CFH101]

Whoever finds out about a charity trny , let me know and I'm in ....... reasonable buy-in of course. Otherwise , I'll just donate some $$$$ to Red Cross.

Props to the guys trying to set something up.

[dirtysteve]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but just ran across this:

http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/

[2_Towers]

Ok guys great news...pokerstars is hosting 2 tournies on the 12th and 14th of Sept. Check out the post above (Thanks Dirtysteve). OK 1 down 3 to go....keep posting so I can email the results to the other 3. Props to Pokerstars for always being the 1st to step up to the plate!!!! WE CAN DO IT!!!!

[Jsup]

i havent been watching too much tv lately,but last night i watched a bunch of stuff on katrina, and i saw the saddest thing i have ever seen in my life...an older man was walking on the streets with a little boy and both were crying and a reporter went up to talk to him,and by the end of the conversation the reporter had to stop because she had completely lost it,i had lost it as well...the man said his house completely split in half and that his house was the only thing he had to his name..the reporter asked where his wife was and he had no idea and said that she was lost and probably dead...i cant imagine what the people in new orleans are going through, but i think doing anything possible to raise money to help them is a great idea...i will be donating money myself to the cause just because i think it is important to help the innocent people who have suffered from this amazing tragedy, and any site that is offering any fundraising tournaments to help the cause i will be playing in too...im not trying to preach or anything like that but i think it is our duty as americans to help people in times like these...i see people looting and police fighting with people when all the people want is food and clothes to survive...great post towers

[2_Towers]

Thanks Josh, appreciate it. I hope to get more people on board.

[2_Towers]

I will send this to Bodog also when I get a few more responses!!

[Lee Jones]

Yes - pokerstars is doing what we can. I don't normally encourage people to play at other sites, but man, if other sites are matching funds, then go for it. Play 'em all. Or don't play any of 'em - it doesn't matter as long as you register for them all.

Also remember that many of you work for companies that will match gifts to registered charities. Be sure to look into that.

Best regards,
Lee Jones

PokerStars Poker Room Manager

[2_Towers]

Class act, Lee Jones and pokerstars. Thanks for taking time to respond to this thread and for hosting both tournies. Please we need the other 3 to get on board.

[meshugana]

Being from Louisiana and in baton rouge now I'll play all tournies. Everyone here has either family, friends or both who have lost everything they own in the strom. Like brsavage, we have opened our home to family and friends who need our help. I encourage all P5rs to open their bankrolls - just a little bit- to help those less fortunate at their time of need. I hope everyone understands the enormity of this disaster and the need for money to the red cross that will help them provide immediate relief to the refugees. michael

[HelenRNurse]

Towers, You know I'm with you in any efforts that we can make. I've already written a letter to UB about a tourney, but have yet to hear from them. Hopefully if a bigger name player will write, they will acknowledge and do something.

[screwit9]

Without even talking to anyone at bodog i can tell you right now that if the owner/ceo, Calvin whatever it is hears about, he will do what he can. He is a great guy.
Nice post 2T
--screw

[2_Towers]

Thank you Helen, we WILL make it happen. Thank you for your support and I hope we get a few more before I send this to the sites.

[rusostreet]

Im in, I hope eveyone else gets involved. This is a great idea, and I believe the poker community to be a good one that will help with the cause a lot. Good post 2T, and my prayers are with those of you that are gettin hit by Katrina.

rusostreet

[2_Towers]

Helen received a reply from UB that they are looking into what they can do. Although I will still send this email to show them we as a community want this to happen. Thanks again Helen.

[McKinney]

I'm not a poker player myself, but I watch a lot. Please try to have all the sites that do tourneys have a way for ANYONE to contribute that would like to.

My prayers go out to all that were affected by this monster called Katrina, whether directly or indirectly.

Great post, 2T, thank you very much!

[PuertoKid]

How about if people just donate directly to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund instead? The sites can simply provide a link to the American Red Cross if they want to help. Or they can give people the option of donating right from their poker accounts. There are many disasters every year and the Red Cross is there to help. I encourage people to make contributions on a regular basis to the Disaster Relief Fund. This way, you are making charitable contributions that help people in disasters whenever the occur, and even if the disasters are not "big TV coverage events."

As far as sites providing tournaments in which 100% of the prize is donated, well, why in the world would I want to pay $100 and spend an hour or more in a tournament that gives the money to charity when I could just give the $100 to charity myself and use my time more effeciently? Considering that people's time is valuable, it seems a pretty inefficient way to donate to me. I guess if it gets more people to give it may be a good thing. But I certainly won't give via that mechanism.

Additionally, how do you know the owners of these poker sites don't already donate to charity? Why call on them to make public displays of giving?

Curmudgeonly (but sensibly),

PK

https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp

[2_Towers]

Puerto there are many many ways to give to a charity. The reason we are doing it this way is to show that we as poker players can come together as a community. People will give in different ways this is just one that I felt would be good for us poker players. By the way don't waste your time in the tourney just register and log off ;)

[sepslugseven I wrote a letter but I threw it out.]

not to mention that (at least in pokerstars example) the site is MATCHING your donation........ (as well as offering some sort of prize just not monetary) .. why shit on people who are trying to help PK.. if your opinion is one of dissent during a time like this then just keep your mouth shut and do what you feel necessary.

Chris

[HelenRNurse]

Curmudgeon, I understand how valuable your time must be......Imagine the people of New Orleans with blistered feet walking through contaminated (with God knows what) water! Surely they are worth a couple hours of anyone's time.

[PuertoKid]

I'm not shitting on anybody, and I think it is good and healthy for dissenters to voice their opinions. So, no, I won't shut my mouth.

I think public calls for poker sites to "do something" is kinda of like publicity blackmail. Not that it is intended that way, but it is. It demands publicity charity. If they don't do something publicly, it looks like they aren't doing anything and are just greedy bastards who don't want to help. Who knows, owners of some of these sites may have donated millions to disaster relief in the past or for the current disaster in LA. If poker sites want to do something, they can. There are numerous ways to help, and they don't have to be public displays. I think the Bible said something about making charity a private matter.

If poker sites want to help, I think there are more efficient ways than running a tournament. For example, they can give people an option to donate directly from their poker accounts. Sites can match a percentage of each donation up to a certain amount.

Since they are in the business of running tournaments, that probably works too, though it seems inefficient.

As far as the perception of the "poker community" uniting to help in times of disaster, well, I would not seek for any publicity benefit to whatever group I belong to for donating. And in times like these I don't think of myself as a poker player helping others. I think of myself as a human being helping others.

By all means, do what you want to help. Don't shit on me just because I think differently than you and choose to express myself.

[2_Towers]

Puerto I respect your opinion and I hope you respect mine to help organize this. I have no bad intentions or ill will for people who don't agree by the methods for fundraising. Im almost positive the owners of the sites have done something on a private/personal basis. And I'm also sure they would like to be involved with fundraising efforts from their patrons (i.e. -pokerstars). Thanks

[PuertoKid]

LOL. Distort and mock, a staple of the propogandist. People can always distort other's views and then mock them. For example, I could mock the original idea here as

"Hey, people are suffering in New Orleans. What can we do to help? Hey, I got it! Let's play poker!!! F just sending money to the Red Cross, we gotta get some publicity for poker players out of this!" (said with a big Chris Rock mocking smile)

But it is not their intention and I know it. They are well meaning. But many times people don't want to look at the negative side of good intentions. That's all I'm trying to do--and offer some alternative, sensible, efficient ways to provide help.

GG, GL.

[2_Towers]

Thanks for your offer to a more sensible way.......but no thanks. I think my idea is a great one and also thank you for continuing to bump this thread :)

[doomed222]

reading your two replys makes me sick to my stomach PK.......... seriously shut uP....... i think its a great idea to have a charity poker tourney and i will most definately be playing in both of the PS tourneys.

DOOMED

[doomed222]

IT IS A GREAT IDEA 2 TOWERS....... FUCK PK HE IS A PESSIMISTIC BASTARD

DOOMED

[iMsoLucky0]

I'm already in both tournaments on pokerstars, and as soon as any other sites open up some tournaments, I'll donate there too.

This is awful and these people need all our help.

[jokerindapack]

Lee Jones OWNZ....

- Joker

[SusieQue]

I will do anything I can to help..just say the word and I am there! I will talk to UB or do anything that is needed. Just let me know what you need and I will do it!!

[TxLonghorn]

Full Tilt is hosting a tourney this Friday which is a $20 buy in with a $10 fee that is going towards a donation towards the Red Cross. Full tilt will be matching this fee as well, so everyone who plays will lead to a $20 donation.