by Andy Thai
You wouldn’t expect to find Ben Affleck or Tobey Maguire at your local fresh food market, but what if you were playing poker in a live casino at Casumo and your opponent was 50 Cent?
There are many celebs who dabble in gambling. Many are even known to engage in some form of gambling as a second or third profession, and are actually good at it.
Four Celebs Who Know How to Gamble
Here are four Hollywood celebs who know their way around a casino table:
Ben Affleck
The multitalented star can act, write and direct, but little did you know that Ben Affleck has a card up his sleeve: he is an experienced poker player.
Affleck has played in many tournaments at both amateur and professional levels, and won big too. He won $800,000 at blackjack in 2001, and in a California poker championship in 2004, he won $365,000.
Ben Affleck carries more than just luck with him. There’s some serious skill involved in his poker playing.
Tobey Maguire
Tobey Maguire is unlucky to have lost to Ben Affleck in the same 2004 poker championship, but don’t be fooled: he is a skilled player.
Maguire has dedicated a lot of his time since he was a teenager to learning the craft of poker. Additionally, he has participated in many private celebrity games. Some of these were the inspiration for the book and movie Molly’s Game.
In 2011, Maguire won the Hollywood Park Casino tournament and walked away with $300,000.
50 Cent
The rapper-turned-actor and film producer isn’t someone you want to go up against at poker.
50 Cent is known to bet a lot on sports, and is also considered a lucky man. He proved this when he bet $2 million against Manny Pacquiao in his fight with Floyd Mayweather. Pacquiao lost the bout and 50 Cent collected his cheque.
Jennifer Tilly
Poker runs in Jennifer Tilly’s blood. Her father was an avid poker player, and Jennifer Tilly had an interest in card games from an early age. This propelled her to be one of the best poker players out there.
In 2005, she won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet, her first professional accomplishment. She was the first celebrity to win a WSOP bracelet, which clearly showed her talents.
In the same year, she placed first in the Ladies’ No-Limit Hold’em and walked away with over $150,000 in prize money, rising above a field of 600 players.
She continues to grace poker tables and tournaments as she sharpens her skills.
The Best at Bluffs
Being a great poker player requires you to have excellent acting skills to convince other players of their bluffs. It’s no wonder some of the best players have a second profession in acting.
We wouldn’t mind having one or two celebs join our table once in a while. We might be able to call their bluff and beat a celebrity pro player.
