Ante Up for Africa co-founder Don Cheadle has signed on a renonwed online poker room Full Tilt Poker. Celebrity poker player Don Cheadle is one of the world’s leading actors and has appeared in the hit movie “Crash” as well as the “Oceans Eleven” trilogy. Don Cheadle may not have much, if anything, for major tournament cashes, but he's no stranger to poker. He's played in televised events such as the NBC National Heads-Up Championship and Celebrity Poker Shoot-Out.
The poker world sat up and took notice in 2007 when he was paired against Phil Ivey in the first round of the NBC National Heads-Up Championship and managed to defeat one of the game's best pros. He went on to lose in Round 2 to Scott Fischman. NBC invited him back in 2008 and 2009 to participate again. In 2008, Don Cheadle was out in the first round after losing to Gus Hansen, but in 2009 he held his own against David Pham in the first round before being defeated in Round 2 by Paul Wasicka.
Celebrity poker player Don Cheadle, along with poker pro and Celebrity Apprentice finalist Annie Duke and Norman Epstein, created the charity tournament to benefit the humanitarian efforts in Sudan. Charities such as “The Enough Project”, “Not on Our Watch” and the “International Rescue Committee” have been awarded over $2 million in donations as a result of Ante Up for Africa events.
“I’ve done alright in the televised tourneys I’ve participated in and I’ve won several tournaments around town. I have yet to play in the WSOP events, but I hope my schedule will permit me to do so in the future,” said Don Cheadle.
About Don Cheadle: Being recognized by a major publication as a cool dude would definitely up his sex appeal factor as far as the ladies are concerned, He made his big-screen debut in 1985's Moving Violations and landed guest roles on shows like Fame, L.A. Law and Hill Street Blues before appearing in the 1987 Vietnam War-drama Hamburger Hill.
Don Cheadle is known for his roles in a number of high-profile films, including Boogie Nights in 1997, Traffic in 2000, Hotel Rwanda in 2004, Crash in 2005, and Traitor in 2008. He also portrays Basher Tarr in the Ocean's Eleven series and cowrote Not On Our Watch: The Mission To End Genocide In Darfur And Beyond in 2007.
In 2002, Don Cheadle found himself back on TV guesting on The Bernie Mac Show, MAD TV and episodes of ER. He added a number of high-profile movie roles to his resume in 2004, including appearances in Ocean's Twelve for which he earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. In 2005, he coproduced and costarred with Sandra Bullock and Matt Dillon which picked up the Oscar for Best Picture of 2006.
Moved by the horrific situations in Darfur and Rwanda, Don Cheadle spent the next couple of years campaigning for an end to the genocide. That same year, he costarred with Adam Sandler in Reign Over Me, and logged in another appearance as Basher in Ocean's Thirteen. As for blockbusters on the horizon, Don Cheadle has been tapped to replace Terence Howard as Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes and the silver Iron Man in the Iron Man franchise with Robert Downey Jr.
Don Cheadle will make his directorial debut with the adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Tishomingo Blues. He also appeared in NFL commercials promoting the Super Bowl from 2002–2005. Don Cheadle has been in a relationship with actress Bridgid Coulter since the early-90s; they have two daughters, Ayana and Imani.