Recently in China Earthquake Relief Fund Category

When PokerStars told its players they could donate to the China earthquake relief fund, it was impossible to know how much money it would raise. Though PokerStars players have been more than generous in the past, the earthquake in China is a world away for many poker players.

Distance, however, proved to be no hindrance for generosity.

This global campaign by PokerStars and its players has since resulted in a contribution of $2,226,146.50 HKD ($285,248.19 USD) to the Red Cross Macau earthquake relief effort. The money came from many a different source.

PokerStars recently launched Macau’s first dedicated poker room, PokerStars Macau, with a charity tournament to raise money for the victims of the recent earthquake in Western China.

In addition to the charity tournament, existing PokerStars players were given the opportunity to donate to the relief fund through their online accounts, with PokerStars then matching the donation dollar for dollar.

All of the money raised by PokerStars and its players will now be sent to the Red Cross to aid the suffering in China.

PokerStars players have a long history of supporting people in need. In the past several years, PokerStars and its players have donated to victims of the Indonesian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. They have also given to the Lifeball AIDS research effort and the fight to stop the genocide in Darfur. Now, as the people of China struggle to cope with the deadly earthquake in their country, PokerStars is giving its players a way to help.

More than 32,000 people have already been confirmed dead in the China earthquake. Some experts believe that number could rise as high as 50,000 in the coming weeks.

If you would like to donate to the Red Cross and help aid the victims of the tragedy, you can do so directly from your PokerStars account. You can transfer any amount you choose to the "Quake Relief" PokerStars account or you can give between $1 and $100 by signing up for the China Quake Relief Fund (no game will be played) under the Tourney/Special tab.

As it has in the past, PokerStars has pledged to match every donation to the dollar. Every dollar you give will be turned into $2 by PokerStars before the money is sent to the Red Cross.