Asher Conniff is hoping to turn winning moments like this into tens of thousands of dollars for Hurricane Harvey relief. (WPT photo)

The tragedy left behind by Hurricane Harvey in the greater Houston area has brought people from all walks of life together to give back to those in need. The rebuilding process will take years and led by Asher Conniff, over two dozen poker players are doing what they can to help by donating to the devastated region.

On August 28, Conniff announced over Twitter that he was auctioning 10 percent of his action to next week’s Borgata Poker Open Event 1 with all proceeds coupled with the $600 entry fee going toward Harvey relief. The winning bid was $225, made by Victor Ramdin, but Conniff’s charitable contributions didn’t stop there.

Two days later, Conniff fully ignited the pledge by announcing he would donate five percent of his winnings from the series toward Harvey relief.

As of press time, 32 players have joined Conniff in pledging five percent of their series earnings and Conniff is overwhelmed by the support of the poker community to join forces for this cause.

Conniff believes that using an open forum like Twitter is beneficial toward drawing others into a non-political cause and the turnout of goodwill comes as a pleasant surprise.

“I planned to do it silently, but the fact is that, as we’ve seen, being public and motivating can really [encourage] others to do good as well, and I think that’s what we’re seeing here,” said Conniff. “Also, with all the political mayhem recently, when something so non-partisan and important came along, as awful as it was, it was almost refreshing to see something that everyone could set aside their differences and help others, care for others.”

His initial donations aside, Conniff has a larger goal in mind to help those in Houston. Following the end of the Borgata Poker Open in mid-September, Conniff’s plan is to turn his giving back approach in a hands-on affair.

“My real goal is to take a trip to Houston after the BPO, drive or fly down there, and instead of donating the money to charity, go fill up trucks with supplies and anything needed and actually go hand it out myself, and then join Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild some houses, or whatever is needed.”

Among the players who have announced their allegiances in allocating five percent of their BPO earnings are Jose Montes and Vinny Pahuja.

Conniff isn’t the only player with a large donation in mind. Chance Kornuth tweeted he will be donating five percent of his WCOOP winnings toward Harvey relief and encouraged other players to join him.

The BPO ends with the World Poker Tour Main Event and a $3,000,000 guarantee that is likely to bring in over 1,000 entrants. With any luck, a player part of Conniff’s pledge team will walk away with a final table appearance that will bring them and more importantly, the people of Houston, a huge windfall.

For anyone in the poker community looking to get involved, Conniff suggests they reach out to him directly so he can ensure their money goes to those in need.

“I just suggest that anyone do anything they can within reason to help those suffering from the hurricane. Whether it’s $1, $10,000, one percent of your cashes, five percent or 50 percent, do something. These humanitarian crises should bring out the best in all of us. If anyone wants to commit to #BPOHarveyPledge, even while playing other, non-Borgata tournaments, online or otherwise, please contact me.”