Charity Poker Championship

Together, We Went All In for Camp One Step

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Camp One Step's Charity Poker Championship on Thursday, April 17th, 2025 at Galleria Marchetti. Your generosity and enthusiasm helped make the evening a huge success.

Because of you, we raised more than $126,000 to help send kids with cancer to Camp One Step! Your support truly changes lives, giving children the chance to experience hope, friendship, and unforgettable adventures at camp.

A very special thank you to Marley Kayden, our fantastic emcee, for bringing her energy and heart to the evening.

We'd also like to recognize and thank our amazing bounty players: Kate Chappell, Rashied Davis, Jason Finn, Aaron Flores, Teddy Greenstein, Marley Kayden, Bob Popper, Ben Ponzio, and Richard Roeper, for their participation and support.

Thank you to our amazing event committee members for the time and energy you put into making this event a success.  Thank you to our incredible sponsors, to all of our volunteers, and to everyone who attended the evening. Your support allows Camp One Step to fulfill our mission of bringing joy, happiness, adventure, and friendship to kids with cancer and their families! 

And of course, congratulations to our 2025 Charity Poker Championship Winner - Robert!

Thanks to all of you, April 17th was a night to remember! Click HERE to take a look back on the evening and enjoy our event photos taken by Neil Sy.

Thank you for helping us make a difference, one hand at a time. We hope to see you back at the tables next year!

Meet our Bounty Players! 
When you knock a Bounty Player out of the tournament, you win a prize!

Marley Kayden

Marley Kayden is an Emmy-Award winning contributor to CBS News' "Money Watch" and an adjunct professor at DePaul University. Most recently, she was the Business Correspondent for NewsNation's "Morning in America." She also covered the World Series of Poker live from Las Vegas for CBS Sports and Poker GO and was the co-host of "Chicago's Best" on WGN-TV

until its 10-year-run concluded near the end of 2021. Prior to joining the WGN team, she spent several years at NBC Chicago, anchoring traffic on the weekends, reporting and hosting the station's special events programming. Marley also spent five years anchoring her own daily financial news show called "Most Actives with Marley Kayden" for the web-based TV channel

at the Chicago Board Options Exchange. She holds a Masters in Journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a concentration in Economic Journalism and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia. Prior to becoming a reporter, she spent much of her life on stage, working as a professional musical theatre actor. Marley lives in River North with her daughter Grace and dog Blue.

Richard Roeper

Richard Roeper has written more than 10,000 movie reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times and other publications. He is the film critic for "Windy City Weekend" on ABC-7, the author of nine books and the host of "The Richard Roeper Show" podcast. Roeper is the recipient of the National Headliner Award as the best columnist in the country and has won three Chicago/Midwest Emmys. Roeper has hosted or co-hosted radio shows on WLS-AM, WLS-FM, WLUP-FM and WGN-AM in Chicago. For nine years, Roeper was the co-host of "At the Movies," which eventually was titled, "Ebert & Roeper."

Teddy Greenstein

You might know Teddy (KGB) Greenstein from the yellowed pages of a Chicago Tribune sports section. Or an old Big Ten Network clip. Now he's in the righteous world of online sports betting. He signs VIP-level bettors for DraftKings.

Jason Finn

Jason Finn is the host of Chicago's only televised poker show, Windy City Poker Championship, on NBC Sports Chicago. He's also the founder of Chicago Poker Club, a local business owner, the father of two burgeoning poker sharks, and a proud Camp One Step Poker Planning Committee member. Jason Finn Mortgage Lending is also a sponsor for this event!

Kate Chappell

Kate Chappell is the Weekend Morning anchor and a General Assignment Reporter. She joined NBC 5 in December 2018.Chappell comes from Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she anchored the nightly newscast at the CBS affiliate and was recognized for her work with several Wisconsin Broadcasting awards. Prior to Milwaukee, Kate spent several years in South Bend, Indiana as an anchor and reporter for the morning news at WNDU.She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a double major in Journalism and Political Science. Kate grew up in Wisconsin and is thrilled to still call the Midwest home.Outside of work, Kate enjoys exploring the city with her family, including her beloved bulldog, Duke. She loves discovering new restaurants and traveling. 

Aaron Flores

Aaron Flores' poker journey began in his early years, watching family members play Mexican poker. What started as playing cards for fun and having a couple drinks with friends took a serious turn during the COVID pandemic. With nightclubs closed down and his work as a club promoter on hold, he found himself with time to fully immerse in poker, transforming his approach to the game. His cousins introduced him to Texas Hold'em, while his friend and mentor Mauricio (Muecs) provided valuable guidance on strategy, pointed out tells that Aaron himself was giving away, and shared crucial tips that helped shape his playing style. He gives a lot of credit to a poker club named Donkey Lounge, where countless hours of play improved his skills and elevated his performance over the years. Aaron's dedication to his aggressive and consistent playing style has yielded remarkable results across both cash games and tournaments, which he approaches as distinctly different disciplines. His first significant tournament success came with a 7th place finish in a major Florida tournament, but it was winning a prestigious $2,200 World Poker Tour event on his mother's birthday in 2023 that stands as his most meaningful victory. Aaron has since achieved the rare distinction of winning a WSOP ring in three consecutive years (2023, 2024, and 2025), cementing his reputation as one of poker's most consistent tournament performers. What began as a hobby has evolved into his profession, and he now has his sights set on poker's ultimate achievement: winning a WSOP bracelet.

Rashied Davis

Rashied Davis is a former NFL wide receiver best known for his time with the Chicago Bears. Davis joined the Bears in 2005, making key plays during their 2006 Super Bowl run. Since retiring, he's been active as a coach and mentor, inspiring others with his resilience and determination.

Bob Popper

Bob Popper is a Chicago-born and raised guy who went to Homewood Flossmoor High School and to college at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, where Bob earned a degree in journalism. After graduation, Bob got a full-time job in the metals industry, but always wanted to write and use that degree. Bob did write a sports column for 35 years for The Star, a Pioneer Press and Sun-Times owned publication.

In 2005, Bob got a part-time job writing for a poker magazine, Top Pair, when they joined the likes of Card Player, Bluff, and Ante Up in the post-Moneymaker craze magazine arena. The magazine only stuck around for about four years before going digital and eventually shutting down.

Bob still wanted to write, but all the magazines already had their staff in force. Bob did spend time dealing for some charity organizations and at home games as well. But about four years ago, when the original Ante Up took a hiatus, "Chicago" Joe Giertuga contacted Bob and said he was retiring. He told Bob that a new guy, Joe Scales, was going to purchase Ante Up and would probably need someone to cover the Chicago area.

Chicago Joe suggested that Bob was the original writer who covered Chicago and there was no one better to work with the new magazine owners. So Bob called Joe Scales, and the rest is history. Bob still did some dealing at home games with other local charity organizations as a regular dealer, too.

Bob has done some broadcasting at Windy City, actually with Joe Scales, at one of their championship poker tournaments. Bob has also been a guest commentator on the HTP when James Larson and Kenna James were doing those broadcasts.

Bob's business travels took him from coast to coast and no matter where he was, he always tried to visit the local casinos and poker rooms. Bob has been fortunate enough to meet and interview players like the late Doyle Brunson and Mike Sexton, Phil Hellmuth, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Jack Binion, Daniel Negreanu, and many more of the other "old time" players.

Now, Bob even gets out and plays once in a while and certainly enjoys the game.

.

About Camp One Step 

A pediatric cancer diagnosis turns a child's life upside down, and suddenly nothing feels normal for a child or their family.  Hospital visits, ongoing treatments, financial challenges, and time away from school, sports, and friends becomes the new norm.  Fear, anxiety, isolation, and loss of identity can create social and emotional scars, as children often begin to feel more like a cancer patient than a person.

Camp One Step exists to help heal these invisible scars that no one can see by offering free in-person and virtual camp programs serving pediatric cancer patients, survivors, and their families. Through our 11 in-person camps as well as our virtual programs, children (ages birth - 19) and their families meet, bond, find understanding in shared experiences, and expand their network of support throughout the year.  Inclusion, accessibility, connections and empowerment are core to our mission. 

Camp is not just a place, it is a Community. 

Camp One Step brings happiness, support, strength and hope to hundreds of children and families each year, and thanks to our community of campers, families, over 400 volunteers, and generous supporters, the magic of camp can be felt anytime, anywhere. 

Watch this 4 minute video to learn more!

Learn more about Camp One Step at camponestep.org.