Just weeks before the start of the 2024 WSOP festival, Paul Berger put his prestigious gold bracelet, which he won last year, up for auction to fund cancer treatment research.
In July of last year, Paul Berger won his first bracelet in the $1,000 Super Turbo event after defeating top Brazilian pro Yuri Dzivielevski, earning a prize of $212,645.
The bracelet is being auctioned on the fundraising platform GiveSmart, with a starting bid of $5,000. All proceeds will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Berger, a wildlife photographer, is no stranger to philanthropy. He shared, "I play poker for fun, and I donate my winnings to greater causes."
"For me, donating the bracelet also made sense. The more people I can help through poker, the better. I've been very fortunate in life, and this is a wonderful way to give back. It makes my poker competitions more enjoyable and meaningful, knowing that my victories can help others."
Berger shared similar sentiments in a quick interview after his victory last summer. "This is the biggest win in my poker journey, and it will be used for something greater."
This isn’t the first time a WSOP bracelet has been auctioned for charity. The 2008 Main Event champion, Peter Eastgate, previously auctioned his bracelet for $147,500 to benefit charitable causes.
Others have also auctioned their WSOP gold bracelets for charity over the years, including the duo Igor Kurganov and Liv Boeree (winners of the 2017 Tag Team event) and Max Pescatori (winner of the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split 8/OB event in 2015) to aid earthquake relief in Italy.
For more information on the 2024 WSOP, visit WSOP.com.
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