Poker has become one of the most popular card games to be found in casinos throughout the world and now dominates the online gaming industry. Thousands of people have watched the films which glamourize players who lay it all on the line to win big and become a poker champion. Many Hollywood celebrities may have starred in those films but even more can now be found around the green felt of a poker table no longer a celebrity just another competitor with a chip stack. For some it is just fun and a distraction while others really can cut it with the pros and are just as likely to take your chips while you are star struck and thinking about asking for an autograph.
Being a celebrity means nothing around a poker table, we all get dealt the same cards and that million dollar smile is not going to make it any easier in claiming a tournament victory or World Series of Poker bracelet. Here are a few Hollywood celebrities and sports stars that you might find yourself sitting next to when you find yourself in a casino or online.
Jennifer Tilly the Hollywood actress perhaps best known for her role in “The Fabulous Baker Boys” is a regular visitor to the poker tables and is not to be taken lightly by her fellow competitors having already claimed several titles along with earnings exceeding $650,000. She is currently dating the poker pro Phil Laak, a great coach who can only improve her game and presence around the poker table, which combined with her sexy, sassy demeanor makes Jenifer one formidable opponent.
Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Ben Affleck, famous for his roles in “Good Will Hunting” and “Pearl Harbour” is known to be an avid poker player. Having played for many years entering local events Ben sort lessons from one of the best and found a real teacher in the poker pro Annie Duke. His greatest success came when he won the California State Poker Championship in 2004 before going on in the play Poker Tour final tournament. Don’t let Ben fool you, he knows his way around a poker table and if you are not careful he could just make you his next victim not on the silver screen but over the poker table.
Matt Damon like his distant cousin Ben Affleck is an Academy Award and Golden Globe winner appearing in numerous films from “Good Will Hunting” to “The Talented Mr Ripley” as well as the Jason Bourne films. Matt went on to star in the film “Rounders” set around the poker tables of Las Vegas where a reformed gambler tries to win big and help his friend repay off an unsavoury loan shark. The actor later admitted he dropped $25, 000 at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) when researching the role of a poker hustler. That was not the only time Matt has found himself at the poker tables he has competed in several WSOP main events, 1998 most notably saw him bust out to poker legend Doyle Brunson. He may have many acting awards but he has yet to claim any poker titles that can be added to his award cabinet.
George Clooney one of the world’s most recognizable men and the heart throb for many of the world’s women has achieved notable success with his acting career being rewarded with Academy Awards and Golden Globe for numerous films. One of his most famous roles, Danny Ocean in the film “Oceans 11” brought George to Las Vegas along with Brad Pit, Matt Damon and Don Cheadle. One can only imagine the games of poker that were played between the A-list cast of this film while on the set of the film. It would seem that poker left its mark on each of the cast as they have all been known to appear in occasional charity games and tournaments. Don Cheadle later went on to found the charity “Ante UP for Africa” along with poker pro Annie Duke where players are encouraged to give up some for their earnings for the victims of the crisis in Darfur. Don Cheadle has played in numerous poker tournaments and can claim to have beaten Phil Ivey in heads up poker, quite the accomplished poker player!
Tobey Maguire is known among the elite Hollywood community as being a real card shark. It is alleged that Tobey regularly joined the rich and famous for high stakes no-limit holdem poker and went on to claim more than his fair share of the winnings. Phil Hellmuth has since claimed that Tobey won as much as $10,000,000 through his Hollywood games, a truly impressive bounty. Tobey has also entered numerous WSOP events after being tutored by the poker pro Daniel Negreanu and finished in the money numerous times, by all accounts a real shark.
The incredibly talented Robert Downey Jr is another known celebrity that has frequented the tables of Las Vegas and California although with limited success he enjoys the game and the buzz of trying. Another fellow attendee to the California State Poker Championships is Sharon Stone. Once famous for a few moves on a movie screen Sharon can now be seen around the card tables of a casino playing poker hoping her competitors concentrate more on her than their own cards.
Matthew Perry the Hollywood actor famous for appearing in the popular sitcom Friends is another keen poker player who can regularly be seen at tournaments and charity events. He has been known to enjoy visits to the home of gambling, Las Vegas where he plays in the most exclusive of games at casinos like the Bellagio.
Shannon Elizabeth the idol of many a teen boy and man made famous by her roles in films such as “American Pie” and “Scary Movie” often describes poker as her “second career.” Seeking tutelage from Daniel Negreanu on the finer points of the game and she has gone on to become a great all round player winning a tournament, the Caesars Palace Celebrity Invitational as well as numerous cash finishes in the World Series of poker. She has logged some impressive wins of Barry Greenstein and Jeff Madsen in the Heads-Up Poker Championship also. Clearly a lady who knows how to drop a flush at the right time.
With 2 Emmy Award and numerous nominations it is a wonder that James Woods finds time for the game of poker, but the call of the cards must be strong. Representing the American Stroke Association charity, Woods is a regular fixture on the World Series of Poker and can also be found playing onine at the website Hollywood Poker. He someone who knows his way around a poker table just as well as the set of a film!
One of the kings of film comedy Chevy Chase star of “The National Lampoons” has long been an enthusiast for the game poker and has been found to play at various charitable tournaments and events. He has a long history of playing high stakes poker against his fellow Hollywood stars and as a member of the Hollywood Gourmet Poker Club founded by the late night comedian Jonny Carson he gets to dine and play poker with the likes of Steve Martin and Martin Short. While he may be good company around the poker table offering a few jokes and stories, it may very well be at the cost of your chips.
Sports stars are not immune from the call of the poker tables and American tennis ace Andy Roddick often leaves his racket at the door to a casino or card room. The Andy Roddick Foundation his own charitable organization hosts celebrity poker events to benefit those less fortunate with many of his friends like Alex Rodriguez, Paris Hilton and Mandy Moore helping to build the pot of donations.
Michel Phelps the all American swimming sensation and collector of Olympic swimming medals is another sports star that can be found playing poker both online and at the casino. Taught by one of the poker legends Doyle Brunson, Phelps has made it no secret that he would love to become a poker champion and if he is as good at poker as he is at making waves then we all better watch out in the World Series of Poker.
Here is just a sample of some of the more well known poker players from Hollywood and the sports arena, however I am sure there are a great many more who play the game but choose to do so behind the privacy of closed doors and away from prying eyes.
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