Sucking Out on the Rivers!
Yesterday Joe and I drove to Vegas not just for the start of the World Series of Poker but also for the Sucking Out on the Rivers charity poker tournament I hosted at the Hardrock to benefit Refugees International which, as you know, is the charity I was playing for on Celebrity Apprentice. We had Frank Marino, Joan Rivers impersonator extraordinaire, there and he walked the carpet with me.
Look what I found up Joan's sleeve!
Besides Frank, we also had about 20 other guys come dressed as Joan Rivers. Anyone who was dressed as Joan had a bounty on his head. We had some pretty awesome Joans show up! Here is a sampling:
Joan only wished she could look as hot as those guys!
Check out the stack in front of this Joan…and by stack I mean cleavage, obviously!
Nice stack, Joan!
The tournament had a great turnout. Rafe Furst showed up dressed as Melissa and, to quote him, “I have been dressing up in women’s clothing and playing poker for 15 years. It’s what I do. It’s what I do.” For those who don’t know, Rafe has a habit of protesting Ladies Only events by showing up to play in drag. So dressing up as Melissa Rivers was a natural fit for him.
At the first break of the tournament, We all sang Happy Birthday to Joe and presented him with a cake.
The cake was all vanilla. Oops! Joe likes chocolate. Damn you, Hardrock!
Anyway, I actually managed to come in 5th! Andy Bloch came in 2nd. Tony Hsieh from Zappos stopped by for a while to say hello and show some support, which was really nice. Jeffrey Pollack also came by and John Pappos from the Poker Players Alliance came by as well. And, of course, my brother showed up as well.
Phil Hellmuth couldn’t make it but when I saw him today he donated $400 to make up for it. I had a few other people donate money when they saw me today since they couldn’t make it last night…one of my friends donated $1K!
The buy-in was only $200 and we still managed to raise over $20K for Refugees International! Yay! Poker is such an awesome charity vehicle.
So…here is some footage from the Red carpet of me and Frank Marino. Enjoy!
You so deserved to win that.. almost 500k on the last episode, just like you said that it would be your goal, you and Brande kicked ass! Glad to see that you were able to raise that money. You have m y support 100% the second i have any money. In the meanwhile, anything that we can help organize, let us know. God bless
Congratulations on your many positive qualities.
I would just love to help … ô¿~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3UX8shvykg
Congrats — great job for a great cause!!
I’m so bummed that you’re out of the tournament.
Crap. I’m sorry!!
Hi Annie
I just want to tell you how impressed I am with you. Unless I understand this wrong – A few years ago you just like anyone else struggling to keep your nose above water (so to speak) now your a strong, driven woman that has and brings success to all those around you. I really admire that. Maybe someday we can be friends, or at least meet each other. One of my current goals is to play in the WSOP next year as well. I am building a business to get the funds to do this, and doing what I can to not take part in the recession.
Keep it up
A real fan
Tim
Cool, don’t know if anyone mentioned this before, but one of the worst things Joan said on the finale of CelebApprentice was when she was touting her charity as “all the money will go to Americans”..I almost fell out of my chair..basically saying she should win over Annie becuase money Annie raised went to people all around the world… How racist can you get? That is so narrow-minded, but then Joan and selfish seem to go hand in hand. I am sure many others have made this point before, but I haven’t been following the blogs for a couple weeks and I wante dto get that off my chest! Great event Annie!
Dont you wish it was Rivers under your foot?
I do
She beat you, GET OVER IT. JOAN RIVERS >>>> ANNIE PUKE!
I hope your negative energy and attitude (re obsession with Joan Rivers) won’t affect your performance in the WSOP. Sometimes it’s better to be the bigger person and forgive and forget. What you put out there will be returned…may not be such a good thing when you’re going to need a bit of good fortune and luck in the coming months. Good luck to you anyway.
Are you always this bitter or are you riding Joan River’s coat tails. Come on…I am not a fan of Joan Rivers but my question to you is: would you have the media attention directed at you if it were not for her. I wonder if you could make it as a celebrity without her.
Get over it and move forward. Do you act this bitter when you lose at poker?
Hi, Annie. Just wanted to say what an honor it was to deal to you tonight in the Omaha tourney. Thanks for the tip on stacking my chips faster after dropping the deck. This was my first time dealing Omaha and I was a nervous wreck! Thank you for your patience and congrats on your fundraiser at the Hard Rock, looks like it was a blast! Best wishes to you through the WSOP 2009, I hope you sweep it!
Hey Pam Kitagawa, get a life! Stop hating on Annie because she has one! lol
Dear Annie Duke;
I was the “Joan” with a “nice stack” – Lol
I have to say – you are truly a class act. I am sure those who are leaving neg comments here, have never actually met you. I got that opportunity Wednesday night at the Hard Rock, and after more than 35 years in the Entertainment Business, being around all sorts of “Celebrities” and actually knowing Joan herself (not “close” – but close enough) – I can honestly say you are a true class act.
Sadly, what a lot of these folks don’t understand is the ENTERTAINMENT side of raising money for a good cause. If you quietly did a tournament at the Hard Rock for your charity, I am sure it would not have gained as much exposure or money as it did the way you presented it.
)
Yes, we poked fun at Joan and you raised a LOT of money for a great cause doing it. (I hope I did not insult you with the comedy remarks I was making towards you and the other fine poker players there…it was all just COMEDY!)
Just as Joan has brought awareness for her charity with her voice, you do it with a tounge-in-cheek and pure class.
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for being so kind and thoughtful. My Mother (Who recently lost her husband of more than 50 years March 2nd – My Father) was tickled pink when I told her over the phone that you gave her an autograph MADE OUT TO HER! We don’t come from a lot of money, being from a farm in Iowa. (At one point, I had more than $10,000 in chips in front of me! OMG!)
But that magazine you personally autographed will be framed and hanging proudly on my Mother’s wall for her to show off to all her friends when they come over now.
With a tear in my eye, I thank you for being the wonderfully strong woman you are.
“Go get em Lady, you’re the BEST!”
All my love;
Your BIGGEST Fan;
Steve “Tiny” Daly ~ “Fat Joan”
Hey Annie
I think you rock.
What is the best poker book to improve ones play?
In the last show of the apprentice when Joan walked in the room she tapped your sholder. It looked like a gesture of friendship. Is the fued just a farce?
I find it incredible that people still come to Annie’s blog to tell her to “get over it” any time she mentions anything related to CA. It’s like people think that since she finished 2nd she should just forget that she ever participated on the show and never mention anything remotely connected to it ever again because, you know, mentioning it means she’s a sore loser.
Give it a rest people! Annie’s using the exposure she got on the show and all the craziness that comes with doing a “reality” show as a tool for raising money for a great charity she believes in. That shows two things. One, Annie really does care about RI and didn’t just pick that charity out of a hat. And, two, Annie’s got great marketing instincts!
Keep up the great work Annie and good luck at the WSOP.
One thing I wonder is why she didn’t choose a more local charity. Everyone else on CA had that. I’m guessing because she had NO charity and now to cover her butt, she’s throwing a function here or there for that same charity. Lucky for those kids in Darfur – what a shame that all those kids here in the States couldn’t benefit from the $500k she raised. I know Sunrise Children’s Miracle Network could have put that $$ to great use nationwide. And if AD was such a great marketer, she’d have been far busier marketing herself all these years so she wouldn’t have ended up with all the other Z list celebs who’ve been forgotten especially Andrew Dice Clay. Let’s face it – Annie Duke loves Annie Duke …enuf said. I’m over it, and have forgotten her and moved on. So sad she was NOT a gracious loser. But the look on her face when DT told her was priceless – it went from ‘oh goodie I won, to oh no, I lost!’ We replayed that many times – gave us a great laugh too! You think DT was gonna give CA to a poker player vs a New Yorker longstanding celeb? Get serious!
Amen, Seedy!
Annie – You won – Joan lied about the event planners, Donald Trump doesn’t know talent and integrity when he sees it. You rock!
Karen Rich:
The next time you come here and post, please get your facts straight.
Did you know
1) Annie has been fund raising for RI for a number of years now and has raised over $2.5 MILLION DOLLARS for them.
2) The poker community donated over 700 thousand dollars to charity for the celebrity apprentice show
3) A large portion of Joan’s donation to her charity during the first show came from Annie’s friends
4) Annie’s is well loved and has friends that would fly red eye from California to NY to donate to her cause. Joan, the “long standing celeb” as you put it, dont have friends who would donate despite of her boasting she has connections.
I can go on and on, but I wont. We know the truth and the truth will set us free. You on the other hand will be like Joan….miserable all yor life.
BTW, you are right about Annie….Annie Duke Loves Annie Duke. I, SL Love SL. If we learn to love ourselves, and take care of the NUMBER 1, this would would be a better place
Annie: You were ROBBED!!! I so admired the fact that you would not engage with Joan Rivers’ disgusting insults. You behaved like a lady and a classy one at that. You played the game with integrity and humor. You were all business and you were there to win. Wasn’t that the whole point? JR made it personal. When she wasn’t whining or screeching,she was “up in arms” about Melissa. She got so much camera time I thought it might have been the Joan and Melissa show!! Good luck in all future endeavors. You are smart, savvy and I would love to meet you someday.
This looked like a blast!! I want to set up a fundraiser for our local food bank which is going to be demolished and rebuilt. Does anyone have any advise on how to even begin to set something like this up? (of course on the small scale…) Any websites that have info??? Thanks. We are down to our last 10,000 that we need and this would be a fun idea.
Personally, I think the negative posters here are getting to be too much.
Annie was a class act long before this show and, from what I can see, will be a class act long after the topic of CA is dropped.
My suggestion would be to go to a JR site and type your bs there.
Annie:
You need to get over yourself.
Anon grow up.
I agree with George. Annie get over yourself. What a sore loser…
Bitter much?
Hi Annie,
I just finished watching the Celebrity Apprentice here in the UK and i have become a big fan of yours now.
I thought you did a great job on the show and raising so much money for your charity, your the best.
I didn’t like the comments Joan Rivers made about you, way over the top.
I will start to watch you play poker whenever i can.
Keep up the good work for your charity, your a good woman.
Personally, I’m wondering…
If Karen Rich is, quote “I’m over it, and have forgotten her and moved on” then what is she doing here posting hate??? Doesn’t sound like she’s moved on to me.
Excellent marketing strategy Annie. Milk it.
u rock
Annie,
I truly believed you deserved to lose. Perhaps being called ruthless & cut-throat is a compliment to you, but I couldn’t disagree more. You were hateful, manipulative, shameful in the way you kissed up to others and unwilling to give others in your group the credit they deserved. You were not honest and you were very hypocritical. You did not behave as a lady would and quite frankly, I must ask, “Do you eat with that same mouth?!” Your language as well as your actions were undignified, ugly and filthy. You don’t have to talk like a sailor to be strong and effective as a player or a leader. It was ALWAYS about YOU – from your perspective. I appreciate that you wanted to raise money for charity, but I honestly feel that “winning” was the main purpose for you – not helping your charity. You don’t have to walk on people to get where you want to go.
I just found out about you through the Celebrity apprentice. I think you’re an awesome person and you deserved to win. I used to like Joan rivers now I think she’s horrible as a person – and dont get me started on her daughter…-
Anyway, I wish you all the best. Greetings from Sydney Australia.
We have just watched last year’s Celebrity Apprentice (2009) on satellite here in South Africa and I was horrified that Joan Rivers won. Clearly Donald Trump felt compelled to make that decision because he was hauled over the coals for choosing Piers the year before so had to make up for it. Overall you, Annie, won hands down and Joan winning three of the “five parts” for the finale was just a gap he could take without appearing too obvious (yeah right). I have lost all the respect I had for him.
Joan Rivers should think about retiring once and for all. She debased herself and her advanced age by constantly spitting all that poison for millions of people to witness all over the world which doesn’t say much for the people that supported her.
I’m sorry to bring this up again, but as I said, we’ve only just watched it and I’m mad as a snake and needed to vent!
All the best from
South Africa