5th Annual Playing For Good

Saturday’s star-studded fifth annual Playing for Good poker event at the home of Hank Azaria, co-founder of Determined to Succeed, benefited two LA-based nonprofits: The Geffen Playhouse and Azaria’s Determined to Succeed. More than 150 players including Hank Azaria, Ben Affleck, Jason Alexander, Don Cheadle, Kevin Pollack, James Woods, Jared Padelecki and Jennifer Tilly participated in the deep stack no-limit hold’em tournament sponsored by ARIA Resort & Casino. Producer Andrew Shack won an extravagant VIP Las Vegas weekend at ARIA Resort & Casino and a one-week trip to the Four Seasons Hualalai Resort in Hawaii.

Guests were treated to mini-makeovers, massages and oxygen facials by Bliss Spa while enjoying Double Cross Vodka specialty cocktails and Echelon Vineyards wines. Culinary delights flowed throughout the day with fare ranging from burgers to freshly rolled sushi donated by Sugarfish and decadent dessert from My Vienna Gelato. Readers Fine Jewelers held a specialty trunk show with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the two charities.

Prizes were handed out “school-yard style” with the players choosing the items in the order that they placed in the tournament, with every player at the final two tables getting a chance to experience a deluxe room at Aria Resort & Casino.

Photography by Matt Sayles