Growing up thinking there’s a money tree in the garden that’s always barren it’s not the prelude to a philanthropic life. I existed in a perpetual state of lack, and not-enoughness for 35-years before deciding to dam up the waterfall of alcohol that used to burn my throat.
The fog lifted.
I saw the cat’s stare.
I heard the men in white coats cut the bulls off a horn.
I smelled my son’s hair in a pillow soaked in my tears.
I became a voracious reader. Mentors who filled my mind with the blueprints of success, made me feel like I could do more than tie my shoelace.
One of the men with a helicopter pad on his roof said If I donate my money to someone or something needier than I, then the universe will return the bounty with compound interest.
Selfishly, I began donating.
Like strobe lighting at a Motown gig, it never felt right.
It was for me.
Not for them.
Time passed.
Perfume faded.
My Elvis Costello LP warped in the sun.
Oliver’s Army trudged off to war.
Then I found Raising for Effective Giving (REG) and Effective Altruism, and things changed. Maybe it was age? Perhaps it was nausea produced by all of those Fabergé eggs, unslept in beds and slit wrists.
REG made me feel right about being in the poker industry. I no longer felt the kid hiding his fish paste sandwiches. Shame became pride. Poker players became ambassadors for greater meaning and purpose, and I looked across at them as a man on equal footing instead of looking up to them like a little boy seeking approval.
Amongst them, Dan Smith.
For the past four years, Smith has leveraged his status within the poker hierarchy to do tremendous good in the world. Last year, his championing of poker as an effective and altruistic vehicle resulted in the astonishing number of $4.5m raised for effective charities.
This year, he’s back, with a new look campaign that has the same old guts and bolts feeling beneath the hood. From now, until to December 29, Smith, Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) pro Aaron Merchak, and fellow poker pros Stephen Chidwick and Matt Ashton, and some anonymous donors have promised to match $1,290,000 in charitable donations for effective charities.
Luckily for you and me, I got the opportunity to ask Smith a few questions about the new initiative and began by asking him to share his ‘service’ biography.
“Years ago, I would have considered myself a negative person, so if anything went slightly wrong, my first thought would be negative. For instance, if my cell phone weren’t where it should be, I would think, “Maybe the goddam maid stole it'” before realising I had moved it to the kitchen or something.
“Now, I think with years of mindfulness – and I have started therapy in the past year which has been very helpful, taking care of my body both mentally and physically – I think I have changed to the core to be a more positive person. Now, if something bad happens to me, I think I could take rough events in my stride, and in some cases see the good in everything.”
Who is the DoubleUpDrive designed for?
“The campaign is designed for everyone,” says Smith. “I like the idea of making it more accessible. I loved the idea of changing the narrative that one person can’t make a difference. Of course, I had a lot of help and support along the way even contributions as small as coming up with the name of the drive or the logo, the logistics. Ultimately, I feel I created the project. I had the idea and executed it, and I like the idea of reminding myself and others that one person really can make a difference.
“With GiveDirectly you can give money to people in Uganda who are living off 65 cents a day. 65 cents is not an amount that even registers for me. I think a lot of people get caught up in their head about not caring about other people, so they don’t ‘do charity’, and yet you can still prioritise yourself over other people and help others. Even if I value my mental well being more than others – by how much? When it comes to supporting someone for 65 cents a day, I do think for your own mental wellbeing helping other people is very satisfying. I will look back on my life, and this will be one of my top accomplishments. I am super thrilled that I achieved my dream of becoming a great poker player. But I take more pride in doing this thing that provides a real positive impact in someone’s life.”
What is the worldview of the people you are hoping to reach?
“Small donors and I like the idea of giving a big donor an avenue for matching and inspiring other people. To make it bigger than just yourself. I am trying to convince people that it’s possible to make a profound difference in the world without dramatically inconveniencing yourself. People think you can’t be self-indulgent and charitable and you can do both. I live a very nice life where if I were completely utilitarian I would live in a one bedroom shack, spending as little as possible and donating more. My primary energy is to take care of myself, even if that’s ‘selfish.’ When I take care of myself, I can be there more for other people.”
When it comes to ‘service; what do people fear?
“I think some people are afraid that they are not inherently charitable people, but I don’t think people are born charitable,” says Smith. “When I first wanted to get into this world it was just something I wrote on my New Year’s resolutions list – ‘be more charitable’.
“I didn’t know how to go about doing it. It wasn’t until I started that I realised it was about going through and putting in the motions. I used to think that some people had a different view of the world and cared more but I think it’s entirely a thing that you can create.
“I also think that people are afraid of trying in some cases. I was nervous when I started this that I would come across as preachy, or that I was bragging that I could afford to donate some larger numbers or maybe I would flop on my face, but I think it’s important never to be afraid to try and do a good thing.”
What change are you seeking to make in the world?
“I would like to reduce harm and then suffering,” says Smith. “GiveWell is a great organisation that tells you what the most efficient causes are that you can support. Generally, malaria nets or even treating people with malaria is super cheap or feeding people who live off very little money. The Helen Keller Vitamin A Supplementation Program, where people, especially children, are malnourished. You give them Vitamin A Supplements, and it helps – they don’t go blind and prevents people from dying.
“I am trying to maximise the change I can do and am happy to defer to experts, and I am also hoping to move up the ranks and become an expert myself. Secondly, helping people with mental health issues is a passion of mine. I have tried to do a bit of writing about it because I think with interviews like this it comes across like I have my shit together when I go through periods just this February where I was struggling to sleep through the nights because I had many anxious weeks. When you’re not sleeping great things, get worse, and I get anxious about being anxious. I have done some writing to express that I have issues, and I am hoping that people can see that even a successful poker player who seemingly has it all, struggles. I am hoping that someone sees it and views their struggles as normal. It’s easy to feel like we are alone when we’re all dealing with a lot of the same things.”
Why will people tell their friends about DoubleUpDrive?
“It’s a remarkable story.” Says Smith. “It’s easy to get numb to it, but last year we raised $4.5m. I have seen a statistic that on average, $3,000 saves a life. That’s 1,500 people that might have died. That’s a tremendous impact and I think it’s a wild story, taking an inherently selfish thing and doing good with it and I think it’s challenging and will motivate people. It’s a magnified impact for people thinking of donating, so it’s a much better deal for them as well.”
If you could rid the world of one thing, what would it be and why?
“There are a lot of problems in the world, but I will go with my gut and say mental anguish.”
And with that, Smith thanks me for my time, and the recording stops. Typically, I would go for a walk, stretch my aching neck like a giraffe reaching for the tallest acacia leaf, thinking about the swimming pool full of worries I have in life.
Not today
Today, I’m walking into the backyard to shake the shit out of that money tree, and donate whatever falls off to www.doubleupdrive.com safe in the knowledge that this marvellous young man will match my contribution.
Do you want to join me?