GiantBuddha's Grab-Bag Giveaway Grindathon

For the 28 days beginning at 1 PM EDT on March 15, 2010, and ending at 1 PM EDT on April 12, 2010, I will not be leaving my apartment complex. For the majority of my waking hours, I will be playing or studying poker. Aside from poker, I will be eating, sleeping, playing a little guitar, running on my building’s plaza, and watching the occasional movie (at home, of course). Each day I will post a daily video blog here at Zen Madman and a Hand of the Day video at Drag the Bar.

Who cares? (And why am I doing this?) I have 3 main goals:

1. Play a lot of poker
2. Improve my game
3. Raise money for worthy causes

Goals 1 & 2 are pretty straight-forward. I’m devoting four weeks of my life to playing and studying poker. Goal 3 is where I need a little help. I’m calling this a Grindathon because it’s like a walkathon or a danceathon, except I’ll be seated for most of it. I play a certain number of hours, and you donate a certain amount to a worthy cause based on those hours. I won’t be pushing the limits of human endurance, but I will certainly be pushing the limits of my endurance.

How does it work? I will be playing exclusively mid-stakes Limit Holdem: $5/10, $8/16, $10/20, $15/30, and $30/60. This will primarily be on PokerStars, with a few (thousand) hands on Full Tilt. My screen name is GiantBuddha on both sites. You can pledge based on Hours Played, Hands Played, or VPP Accumulated. I will post daily updates of these three totals.

If I play fewer than 200 hours, 80k hands, or 125k VPP, I will pay you 100 times your hourly pledge. If I leave my building for a reason other than medical emergency (mine, family, or friend’s), I will pay you 100 times your hourly pledge. If I leave my building AND player fewer than the above hours, hands, and VPP, I will pay you 200 times your hourly pledge. If I pay you, then you will not have to donate anything.

Your pledge will be capped at 400 hours, 160k hands, and 250k VPP. Units will be Hours, Thousands of Hands, and Thousands of VPP. Before the Grindathon begins, you decide which one you’d like to use. Once the Grindathon is over, money will be donated to one of the following causes:

1. Cancer research
2. Autism research
3. Poker Player's Alliance
4. Johan, Stephanie, and their children: read their story here

You may pick a foundation for the first two, or I will select one for you. If you have another cause you’d like to donate to, let me know, and we can work something out. For more information, contact me at gbgbgaga@gmail.com