Posted by Editor | Filed under 2010 WSOP, Daniel Horowitz, Good causes, Phil Gordon, Rafe Furst
Daniel Horowitz is too modest for his own good, an odd statement to make about a man playing regularly at the World Series of Poker in a ladies tracksuit with his name stitched across his chest. Daniel is expecting to play 15-20 events at this year’s World Series and donating 100% of the money he earns to the Bad Beat on Cancer (BBoC) through the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
He is not wealthy. He didn’t lose a bet or take a dare. It’s a conspicuous gesture, and one completely out of character for this unassuming yet remarkable man. That’s why you should blame/credit Rafe Furst and Phil Gordon and understand Daniel’s story.
Daniel is 29, a native of the D.C. area, the product of an orthodox Jewish upbringing, and a former college student, businessman, and poker player. That much, he was willing to volunteer. Most of the rest, I had to put together on my own.
First, Daniel Horowitz is a superb poker player. From 2004 to 2006, after he left the University of Maryland, he moved to Las Vegas and played poker full time. He made good money in the super-competitive mixed-games at the Bellagio. Although, during the period, he estimated that he played less than a half-dozen tournaments, he made the final table of the $5,000 Omaha-8-or-Better Championship at the 2005 WSOP, finishing fourth and earning nearly $85,000. But he eventually got tired of poker and gave it up.
Second, Daniel Horowitz has a brilliant mind. Even though, according to him, “school sucked and I didn’t graduate,” he radiates intense intelligence. He left the University of Maryland and became part of a very successful start-up company from 2002 to 2004. (He didn’t volunteer the name of the company or how successful, and, though it didn’t make him super-rich, it’s clear that, in just his early twenties, he was an integral part of a very successful venture.) While visiting friends at Stanford University, a group of professors hired him to take charge of the business side of a company they were developing. He moved from Las Vegas to Palo Alto. It turned out not to be a good match between Horowitz and the professors, so he resigned after four months.
Daniel didn’t go back to poker. He did, however, become acquainted with Rafe Furst. They didn’t know each other from poker but met online, because of a mutual interest in global information systems based on betting. He has followed Furst in a variety of ventures ever since.
Daniel hangs with a remarkable crowd: successful start-ups, Stanford professors, and Rafe Furst and his buddies. Horowitz didn’t volunteer much information about the start-up of the Stanford profs, but I know Rafe Furst and his crowd a little. Furst is one of most intelligent people I have ever met. He’s super-smart in just about every way: incredible pedigrees from difficult colleges, successful in internet- and other business-ventures, successful in poker, and dedicated to using all his gifts to further sociably responsible causes.
Rafe and Phil Gordon are best friends and together have raised millions of dollars for cancer research. Furst, with Gordon and on his own, has been trying to use his expertise in technology, and well as the emerging patterns of how people interact with technology, to start and develop sustaining organizations that pursue socially responsible causes. As Daniel explains it, “Just about everything Rafe is working on is part of a socially responsible cause. If any of it is profit-based, its and attempt to make socially responsible organizations self-sustaining.”
There is a suite at the Rio where Rafe, Daniel, and some friends spend time. It has been transformed from a hotel room into a conference room for a series of ventures. On one wall is a white board with an ever-changing and expanding list of projects. Some of these are only concepts; others are full-fledged operations attracting money and personnel to pursue them. They are all based on ideas that Furst has developed or been exposed to through others. As Daniel explains it, “Rafe got me interested in science, economics, and technology. Living, learning, and doing things that interested me. I ran through my money and moved back to D.C. I do a little consulting, but mostly work with Rafe on a thousand different projects simultaneously.”
Furst introduced Horowitz to Bad Beat on Cancer. He played in their tournament in D.C. in 2009 and 2010. “If Rafe is involved in something, I know it’s a good thing.” In connection with BBoC and Furst, Daniel attended a conference in D.C. and some meetings with other cancer foundations. When Daniel heard, at one of the meetings, about the World Series of Good and Michael Karnjanaperakorn’s pledge to play the Main Event and donate all the money he earns to the Langston Hughes Academy, the Prevent Cancer Foundation, and the charity:water.
Daniel thought, “If that kid can play the Main Event 100% for charity, I can play the whole Series for charity.” To his detriment/credit, he said this out loud and he said it to Rafe Furst. Somehow, Furst threw in the provision that Horowitz play the events wearing a ladies tracksuit, to encourage people to ask him what he was doing and because of the nexus between women and breast cancer and the publicity that naturally attracts. “Ten minutes later I was committed.”
Rafe Furst and Phil Gordon are bankrolling Daniel at the Series in which he will play and estimated 15-20 events. All the money he earns will go to Bad Beat for Cancer.
After further consideration, Horowitz had second thoughts. It wasn’t about spending a month and a half when he could be working or earning money or even looking for a job. It wasn’t about putting all the effort into poker and not getting any personal benefit.” It was when he went online and saw the kind of ladies tracksuit he would have to wear. I was picturing a baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants, like an old lady would wear.”
Rafe and Phil had other ideas. They outfitted him with the latest in (ladies) athletic fashion, a sleek, form-fitting green-and-white tracksuit, and guilted him into wearing it.
When Shauna and I caught up to Daniel, he had just played in two tournaments so far and hadn’t cashed. Naturally, a great ending to this story would be Daniel having a huge Series, earning six figures for charity, and getting a bracelet. But even without that, even if he plays 15 or 20 events on Gordon and Furst’s bankroll and doesn’t turn that into any charity money, it will be a profitable exercise.
You see, Daniel Horowitz comes out of his shell every time someone asks him why he is wearing a ladies tracksuit with his name stitched on his chest and he gets an opportunity to tell more people about the World Series of Good and Bad Beat on Cancer with Prevent Cancer.org. He lets them know he is donating 100% of his earnings to those charities and introduces them to the concept of pledging 1%. “It’s not a hard sell … and it doesn’t have to be about cancer. It’s about giving back.” Already, a lot of people have been asking him for information and expressed their interest in getting involved. Let’s all hope, by later in the Series, we see more people wearing the 1% patches and signing up to make pledges on WorldSeriesofGood.com, PreventCancer.org and other charities in connection with the World Series of Poker.
Subsequent to our interview, Daniel cashed in one of his next events at the Series, Event #13, $1,000 NLHE, in which he finished 213th, earning $2,244 for charity. It’s not a final table. It’s not a fortune. But it’s a start.
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Loading ...6 Responses to “Who is Daniel Horowitz and Why is He Wearing a Ladies Tracksuit? – #1050 – 2010 WSOP #31”
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Doug Says:
June 10th, 2010 at 6:30 pmGreat story! Good to hear about the good things. Good luck to Daniel!
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Howard Says:
June 11th, 2010 at 9:53 amGreat story.
Thanks for telling it . Go Dan! -
Luke Thomas Says:
June 11th, 2010 at 3:53 pmDidn’t read a word of this post Craig, just scrolled down looking for a man in a ladies track suit. Gotta say I was pretty disappointed when that didn’t materialize
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pedrito Says:
June 12th, 2010 at 11:02 amGreat story Daniel
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Rick Says:
June 12th, 2010 at 1:08 pmNice story, keep up the good work Daniel!
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fetty Says:
July 14th, 2010 at 5:51 pmGo Danny Go !! best wishes from Venice Beach CA
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