Andrew Barber Takes 5th in the Colossus, Continues Support of REG Charity
Charity has been at the forefront of the poker world for a long time, and one of the biggest supporters of altruism has been Andrew Barber.
On Sunday, the 2015 $10,000 H.O.R.S.E world champion found himself at the final table of the 2019 World Series of Poker Event #61: COLOSSUS - $400 No-Limit Hold'em. At a $400 price point, a total of 13,109 entries came through the cage for a prize pool worth $4,391,515, with $451,272 up for grabs for the winner.
"It's crazy because in ten lifetimes, you might final table this once. So it's crazy to be in that lifetime, in that world, where I'm at the final table," said a humble Barber.
"I was really fortunate that a lot of the really strong players didn't manage to get through. Joe Keuther busted on Day 3, I think Maurice Hawkins busted late Day 2, and it just seemed like I was lucky to survive when others did not."
Help, guys. How much? https://t.co/kzgvngYWOc
— Andrew Barber 🌹 (@abarber1)
Barber came in to the day second in chips, but unfortunately the cards didn't fall his way. The altruistic poker pro found himself in some tough spots, and eventually fell in fifth place.
This score was worth $119,072, bringing Barber's total recorded lifetime earnings over $1 million.
REG Charity: Supporting Effective Altruism
REG Charity was founded by poker pros Liv Boeree, Igor Kurganov, Phil Gruissem and Stefan Huber with a specific vision: "A world where all people use evidence and rationality to have the biggest impact with their philanthropy."
Barber has been an ambassador for REG Charity and has always donated a portion of his cashes while sporting a patch at the tables. Normally, players pledge 3% of their cashes to REG but Barber tries "to go more than that. That's what I ask from others, but I expect more from myself."
"It's crazy because in ten lifetimes, you might final table this once."
On his way to the 2015 WSOP, Barber was looking for a book to read on his way to Las Vegas. "I was walking through a book store and I saw a book that was titled 'The Most Good You Can Do'. And I was like, that is quite a title, I wanna see what this is all about. And it's a book by a philosopher named Peter Singer who laid out the argument for effective altruism. And once you hear a good argument, you're won over."
Altruism is defined as the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others. Barber has spread much knowledge of this on social media, and REG Charity has been represented by many prominent poker pros such as Martin Jacobson, Erik Seidel and Justin Bonomo.
According to REGcharity.com, the organization has put over $11 million to work for organizations across the globe. Some of the initiatives include alleviating global poverty, improving animal welfare and preventing risks from emerging technologies.
Barber has now donated over six figures to charity and will most certainly be spreading his knowledge of altruism for many years to come.
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