Though gambling is generally at odds with religion, this 67-year-old Buddhist is making up for his love of poker by donating all of his winnings to charity.
Scott Wellenbach recently came in third place at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure tournament in the Bahamas, earning him a whopping $671,240 in winnings.
Instead of keeping the cash, however, the Canadian man will be donating it all to charities such as Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders.
Wellenbach first fell in love with poker when he won a free trip to Las Vegas in 2010. Prior to the tournament, the most he had ever won from a game was roughly $72,000; then, he landed a seat at the Bahamian tournament table after winning an online championship.
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Wellenbach says that his disciplinary practices often vary depending on the week, but he generally meditates for one hour every day – and he meditates for much longer when he is competing in a tournament.
He also admits that gambling is contradictory to Buddhism, he believes that the game offers some key insights on the religious teachings.
“Poker gives you a tremendous opportunity to work with the heavens and hells of your mind,” says Wellenbach. “You’re winning and losing every minute-and-a-half, and so some sense of how your hopes and fears go up and down with the passing circumstance of the world is brought to fore at the poker table.”
(WATCH the interview below)
How can you not love this guy? Scott Wellenbach explains why he will be giving all of his winnings away. Watch that and then check our live #PCA updates as Wellenbach continues to compete for $1.5 million.
— PokerStarsBlog (@PokerStarsBlog) January 16, 2019
Updates: https://t.co/kuymOUG1Mf pic.twitter.com/S3WA9YFPkT
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