Playing for Peter

Chris Tryba is an experienced poker pro who has played on the game's biggest and brightest stages, as the gold bracelet he won during the 2012 World Series of Poker proves.

Despite playing for, and winning, prizes well over the six-figure mark, Tryba is here today playing for what may be the most important reason in anybody's life: family.

His cousin, Peter Tryba, a devoted husband and father, is in desperate need of a kidney transplant within the next three to six months. With organ donor lists notoriously long, Peter is in a race against time, and who better to have on his side than a man who wins races for a living.

Chris has decided to donate 10 percent of his potential winnings from the Borgata Spring Poker Open to help fund his cousin's cause, a truly admirable move in a game where selfishness is often lauded as a virtue.

Peter's wife, Rachel, explained the situation further on a Facebook group page dedicated to finding a solution:

My husband Peter Tryba has suffered from chronic kidney disease (CKD) for the past 13 years. The condition is a result of an autoimmune disease called IgA nephropathy. His condition has been managed with medications to lower his blood pressure and keep his kidney function stable. Unfortunately he is now at the end stage of the kidney disease (ESRD) where his kidneys are only functioning at 13%. He will need a kidney transplant from a donor with a matching blood type (He is A+). We will be going to Tufts to meet with the transplant specialists and get put on a list of people waiting for donors. This can potentially take years to find someone. In the meantime, Peter will need to be put on dialysis, 3 days a week, for 3 hours a session in order to help boost his kidneys in eliminating toxins from his body. Peter is otherwise a young, healthy person who has done everything to manage his condition, but now he needs help. He needs a donor. I am willing to donate my kidney to my husband, but we have a 3 1/2 year old daughter and so I feel that I need to be there to care for both of them during this difficult time. The best option is for someone to volunteer. We wanted to let everyone know that this is what we will be going through in the next few months and would appreciate any information, support, guidance, or advice as we embark upon this journey. Thank you,

Sincerely,
Rachel & Peter Tryba

Tryba also took to Twitter to let his followers know about the cause: