Get ready for bad beats, bluffs, battles, and banter. It’s Hank’s Home Game!
Hank Azaria is back on PokerStars, this time hosting his own PokerStars Home Game to which he’s invited his poker buddies.
From the comfort of their homes, they’ll all be playing for charity. And from the comfort of our homes, we can all watch, too!
Tune into the PokerStars YouTube channel this Sunday, January 31 at 6 p.m. GMT (1 p.m. ET) to watch all the action.
Six players, six charities, one inaugural Hank’s Home Game champ
First, some details about this Sunday’s game.
It is happening on PokerStars Home Games, where Hank and a few of his famous friends will be gathering around a virtual six-handed table to play a deep-stacked cash game. Each will be playing for his favorite charity.
Here’s the lineup of players, with their usernames and chosen charities:
- Hank Azaria (“1DoyleLonnegan”), Dream
- Michael Ian Black (“MichaelIanBlack”), Mark Twain Library
- Michael Cera (“IamMichaelCera”), First Responders First
- Josh Charles (“IamJoshCharles”), The Actors Fund
- Don Cheadle (“The DonDaDaDA”), Blackbird Alliance
- Jon Hamm (“MediumJon”), Red Trunk Project
As noted, they’ll be playing a cash game. The starting stack is 10,000 chips with blinds fixed at 50/100. There will also be unlimited rebuys throughout.
They’ll play for two hours, and the finishes will be determined how much players win or lose during the session. Here is how the $50,000 prize pool will be divided up in the end:
- 1st: $20,000
- 2nd: $12,000
- 3rd: $8,000
- 4th: $5,000
- 5th: $3,000
- 6th: $2,000
With two hours of poker scheduled, that should give everyone plenty of time to needle one another and crack wise while going after each other’s chips.
And they’ll all be on camera, too, which means we’ll get to see each of them as they fight it out on the felt.
Great company, good conversation, and a chance to help others
“Hank’s Home Game is all about great company and good conversation,” says Azaria, star of numerous films (The Birdcage, Mystery Men) and television shows (Friends, Brockmire), and the voice behind literally hundreds of characters on The Simpsons.
“While we hope our Home Game will keep everyone entertained during testing times, it has also been a chance to continue raising money for charity,” says Azaria.
“I am delighted that I have been able to work with PokerStars on this fun series,” he says, noting he hopes we enjoy watching it as much as they enjoy playing.
“Providing entertainment for our community is at the heart of everything we do at PokerStars, and Hank’s Home Game is a great reflection of this,” adds Rebecca McAdam Willetts, Associate Director of Group Public Relations at PokerStars.
“Our Home Games are a great way for people to connect and compete from home, and they can do so for free,” says Willetts.
“Hank and many of his talented guests’ natural passion for poker has made bringing them together for good causes a real pleasure. We hope it also provides much-needed entertainment for viewers at home.”
The backstory of Hank’s Home Game… and the future
The idea for Hank’s Home Game goes back to the successful Stars CALL For Action — Powered by PokerStars charity game Azaria helped host back in May 2020.
The game attracted over 90 celebrities, ultimately raising more than $1 million for a variety of different charities.
Actor David Costabile ended up taking it down, winning $100,000 for World Central Kitchen.
Looking ahead, keep an eye out for future episodes of Hank’s Home Game as well, featuring a rotating cast of players.
For now, though, be sure to tune into PokerStars’ YouTube channel on Sunday, January 31 at 6 p.m. GMT (1 p.m. ET)!
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