With the sustained popularity of online poker rooms, online video poker, the world series of Poker and pretty much anything poker related these days, it’s about time that somebody set out to make a legitimate charitable impact through using the game as a vehicle.

Well congrats are in order for Don Cheadle, Annie Duke and Norman Epstein

“Ante Up For Africa” was formed by the group in 2006 and was meant to bring awareness to the issues facing Sudan and help to bring peace to the region. They expected to raise a few thousand dollars, but to date have raised over $2.5 million dollars in their effort.

This week they are hosting their second annual event at the San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino in California, who have donated $500, 000 of their own to the cause.

Regular people willing to put up the $150 buy in can go head to head with such celebrities as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, George Lopez, Cheryl Hines, Marlon Wayans, Ron Livingston and pro athletes like Herschel Walker.

The object isn’t just about playing poker its learning about the cause, and the countless other charities benefitting some of the most desperate places in the world.

Check the website here: http://www.anteupforafrica.org/