BROADWAY BETS, Broadway's Official Poker Tournament, to Return in May

A royal flush of Broadway fans and favorites will ante up when Broadway Bets, Broadway's official poker tournament, returns on Monday, May 22, 2023. The event is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

New York City theater district's beloved Sardi's restaurant will host a full house of Broadway stars, industry insiders and theater fans for the Texas Hold 'em tournament, which has been on a pandemic-induced hiatus for four years. Newcomers and aces alike will have the chance to go "all in" and win the coveted title of Broadway Bets champion. Prizes will be awarded to all players who reach the final table.

Doors will open at 6 pm with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, then the tournament begins at 7 pm. All Broadway Bets (#BroadwayBets) ticketing levels include hors d'oeuvres and an open bar. Tickets and table sponsorship information are available at broadwaycares.org/bets.

Broadway Bets' founding co-chairs are Paul Libin, executive vice president emeritus of Jujamcyn Theaters and president emeritus of the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Board of Trustees, and Robert E. Wankel, president and co-CEO of The Shubert Organization and president of the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Board of Trustees.

The tournament directors are Mark Shacket, partner at Foresight Theatrical, Brett Sirota, co-founder and partner at The Road Company and Alex Wolfe, associate general manager at Foresight Theatrical.

Broadway Bets is made possible by City National Bank, the official bank of Broadway Bets; United Airlines, the official airline of Broadway Bets; bar sponsor Some Like It Hot; and sponsors AKA, The Araca Group, BROADWai, Chart Chart Graph, Crossroads Live | Brian DeVito, Foresight Theatrical, The John Gore Association (Broadway Across America, Broadway.com), The Nederlander Organization, The New York Times, The Pekoe Group, The Road Company, The Shubert Organization, Situation, SpotCo and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.

Texas Hold 'em-style tournaments begin with each player receiving an equal amount of chips. Two blinds are posted per hand to force the action. As players progress, the number of blind bets increases. As players drop out, tables are combined until one final table of players competes for the championship title.

For those who haven't quite mastered their poker face, guest passes offer a chance to observe the poker table action and play other casino games with an opportunity to win prizes.

Broadway Bets' last edition was in 2019. The tournament, which raised $315,200, saw Elliot Greene, executive vice president of The Shubert Organization, and actor Ted Koch go head-to-head for the top prize. Surrounded by an energetic crowd, Greene was crowned Broadway Bets champion when he bested Koch with a pair of queens. In its five editions, Broadway Bets has raised $1.3 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the philanthropic heart of Broadway, is one of the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theater community, since 1988 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has raised more than $300 million for essential services for people with HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and other critical illnesses across the United States.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the major supporter of the social service programs at the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund), including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative and The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts. Broadway Cares also awards annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., providing lifesaving medication, healthy meals, counseling and emergency assistance.

For more information, please visit Broadway Cares online at broadwaycares.org, at facebook.com/BCEFA, at instagram.com/BCEFA, at tiktok.com/@bcefa and at youtube.com/BCEFA.

Photo Credit: Daniel T. Gramkee