From the John Sepulveda School of Charity Tournaments: A-Rod's 2006 Charity Tournament Donated just $5k out of $400k in buyins
http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news...charity-report
I wonder how many other "charity" tournaments ended up being scams/semi-scams. I know of a few that are confirmed, but I bet a lot of them had shady things going on.
I think poker players are easy to take advantage of when it comes to "charity", because many feel guilty that they don't directly contribute to society, and feel this is a way to give back. Many are also afraid to question anything when it comes to "charity" because they're afraid it will make them look bad.