Don Cheadle: Poker Career, Charity Events and Biography

October 20, 2023
Updated October 21, 2026

Table of Contents

Don Cheadle is an American actor, Oscar-nominated for Hotel Rwanda and known to film audiences as James Rhodes, or War Machine, in Marvel’s Avengers films. ^[2][3] In poker he is best known for the Ante Up for Africa charity tournament, which he co-hosted at the World Series of Poker from 2007, and for a run of televised heads-up matches on NBC that began with a first-round win over Phil Ivey. ^[4][11]

Don Cheadle playing poker at the Ante Up for Africa charity tournament during the 2009 World Series of Poker — “DonCheadleAUFA09” by Simon Dingley, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Don Cheadle: key facts

Name	Don Cheadle
Born	November 29, 1964, Kansas City ^[1][2]
Country	United States ^[1]
Main career	Actor; Academy Award nominee for Hotel Rwanda, Golden Globe winner for House of Lies ^[2][3]
Known in poker for	Co-hosting the Ante Up for Africa charity tournament at the WSOP; NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship ^[6][12]
Notable win	Beat Phil Ivey in the first round of the 2007 NBC National Heads-Up Championship ^[11]
Recorded tournament earnings	None recorded in Card Player’s database as of October 10, 2026 ^[1]

Acting career

Cheadle was born in Kansas City and has collected acting nominations across more than 30 years, with credits including Boogie Nights, Swordfish, Ocean’s Eleven and Crash. ^[2] He received an Academy Award nomination for Hotel Rwanda and won a Golden Globe for the television series House of Lies. ^[2][3] Since Iron Man 2 he has played James Rhodes, the officer who becomes War Machine, in Marvel’s films. ^[2][3]

Ante Up for Africa

Card Player reports that Cheadle co-created Ante Up for Africa as a nonprofit in 2006. ^[7] Its flagship was a $5,000 buy-in charity tournament held each summer at the Rio in Las Vegas during the World Series of Poker, where players who cashed were asked to give part of their winnings to relief work in Darfur. ^[4][8]

2007: the first event

The first Ante Up for Africa tournament, headlined by Cheadle, took place on July 5, 2007, with 167 players paying the $5,000 entry fee and a field that included Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Adam Sandler. The last two players, Dan Shak and Brandon Moran, decided to donate all of their prize money and were declared co-champions; officially they received $243,893 and $142,845, a combined $368,738, while Carl Westcott finished third for $98,206. The beneficiaries were the Enough Project and the International Rescue Committee. ^[4][6] A press release issued on July 11, 2007 put the total raised at more than $700,000. ^[5]

2008 to 2010

Cheadle co-hosted the second edition on July 2, 2008, again a $5,000 event at the Rio open to the public, with Enough and Not On Our Watch as beneficiaries. Celebrities announced for that field included Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Ray Romano and Charles Barkley. ^[6]

The third annual event, in July 2009, was filmed by ESPN. ^[9] It drew 137 players and a $665,820 prize pool, with players asked to donate 50% of their winnings. ^[8] Alex Bolotin won $176,449 and gave half of it to charity; by then the organization had raised more than $2 million. ^[7]

In 2010 Cheadle was one of 83 players who paid the $5,000 buy-in for the fourth annual tournament, which raised over $275,000. Phil Gordon won it for $129,086 and donated the full amount. PokerNews reported that Ante Up for Africa had raised over $3 million through its poker tournaments by that point. ^[10]

NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship

Cheadle’s most-watched results came in the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship at Caesars Palace, an invitational event broadcast on network television.

2007: In the Diamonds bracket he built an early chip lead over Phil Ivey, fell behind by roughly two to one, then doubled up and won the match when his queen-jack held against Ivey’s queen-eight. Card Player called it arguably the day’s biggest upset. His next opponent was Scott Fischman. ^[11]
2009: He beat David “The Dragon” Pham in the first round, his second win over a leading professional in three years at the event. ^[12]
2010: On Day 1 he beat J.P. Kelly in the Hearts bracket, his ace-queen holding against pocket eights on a board of king-queen-nine-six-six. ^[13]
2011: Drawn against Tom Dwan, he was eliminated on Day 1, although PokerNews noted that it took Dwan several attempts to finish the match. ^[15]

Before the 2011 event, PokerNews summed up his record: he had won his first match in three of the four years he had played but had never advanced past the round of 32. ^[14]

Other televised and charity poker

Poker After Dark: He appeared in an episode alongside Jason Alexander and Orel Hershiser and finished runner-up to Gavin Smith. ^[2]
WSOP Tournament of Champions, 2010: He was one of nine players invited to a sit-and-go for the final seat in the Tournament of Champions, and the only non-professional in a group that included Tom Dwan, Bertrand Grospellier and Gus Hansen. ^[16]
Super High Roller Celebrity Shootout, 2015: PokerNews named him among the celebrities for the shootout scheduled for June 27-28, 2015, ahead of the Super High Roller Bowl. ^[3]
Stars CALL For Action, 2020: In this online charity tournament on PokerStars he won his shootout table against Michael Cera, Amy Schumer, Jon Hamm, Jeff Garlin and Brad Garrett to reach the final. The 23-entry event had a $450,000 prize pool and was won by David Costabile for $100,000. ^[2]
Hank’s Home Game, 2021: He joined Hank Azaria, Jon Hamm, Michael Cera, Michael Ian Black and Josh Charles in a charity game streamed by PokerStars, in which the six paid places earned between $2,000 and $20,000 for the players’ chosen charities. Card Player wrote that “Azaria, Cheadle and Black have been regular poker players for quite some time.” ^[17]

In his own words

“I will take the toughest guys, because it’s just like when you run against a better runner as a sprinter, you get faster. I think they pull a better game out of me than if I played someone at my level.” On facing top professionals at the NBC Heads-Up Championship, 2009. ^[12]
“I think it’s a rhythm thing; for me it is, anyway.” On whether his acting helps him read opponents, 2009. ^[12]
“When we all put our efforts together, we can do amazing things.” After the first Ante Up for Africa tournament, July 2007. ^[5]

Don Cheadle’s top poker hands

FAQ about Don Cheadle

How old is Don Cheadle?

He was born on November 29, 1964, so he is 61 as of October 10, 2026. ^[1]

Does Don Cheadle play poker professionally?

No. He is an actor who plays in charity and invitational events; in 2010 Card Player described him as the only non-professional among the nine players invited to play for the final Tournament of Champions seat. ^[16]

What is Ante Up for Africa?

A nonprofit Cheadle co-created in 2006 that ran an annual $5,000 charity tournament at the World Series of Poker to raise money for Darfur relief. ^[7] It had raised over $3 million through its tournaments by 2010. ^[10]

Did Don Cheadle beat Phil Ivey?

Yes, in the first round of the 2007 NBC National Heads-Up Championship, when his queen-jack held against Ivey’s queen-eight. ^[11]

Has Don Cheadle won a poker tournament?

Card Player’s database lists no tournament wins and no recorded earnings for him as of October 10, 2026. ^[1] His best-known results are heads-up match wins on NBC and reaching the final of the 2020 Stars CALL For Action charity tournament. ^[14][2]

What is Don Cheadle’s net worth?

There is no reliable public figure for his net worth. On the poker side, Card Player records no tournament earnings for him as of October 10, 2026. ^[1]

Who does Don Cheadle play in the Marvel films?

James Rhodes, also known as War Machine, a role he took over in Iron Man 2. ^[2][3]

Related Poker Legends

Read more about Phil Ivey, whom Cheadle beat on NBC in 2007, and Tom Dwan, who eliminated him in 2011. New to the game? Start with how to play Texas Hold’em.