Hobbies are great equalizers. You may come across someone who grew up in a completely different location to you, spoke a different home language, or studied other subjects in school but have something in common with them. If you have the same hobbies as someone you meet, you might enjoy their company and have at least one subject to discuss. It’s always interesting to learn that celebrities share our habits, making them seem a little more like the average Joe. Is poker one of your favorite pastimes? Well, here’s a list of celebrities who love it too!
1. Jennifer Tilly
This actress is well known for her unique voice, being a 1990s bombshell, and role as the Bride of Chucky. What a lot of people don’t know is that she’s also an accomplished poker player. Tilly’s dad gave her a poker video game, “World Series of Poker,” which sparked her interest in the game. Unsurprisingly, the actress who appeared in Let It Ride — a film about a gambler having a great day at the track — enjoys gambling. Jennifer Tilly is not just any gambler; she’s a poker predator. The actress has claimed over a million dollars in live poker winnings and has a World Series of Poker bracelet to her name. She has been fortunate to have her considerable natural skills nurtured by her poker player boyfriend, Phil Laak. Tilly loves playing high-stakes poker, just for the thrill of the game.
2. Brad Garrett
Another celebrity who loves poker is Brad Garett, best known as Ray Barone’s older brother Robert in Everybody Loves Raymond. This deadpan, straight-faced comedy genius plays poker any chance he gets. He loves the game so much that these days, he describes himself as a part-time pro poker player and part-time actor. He even appeared on Poker Night, where he and the “Poker Brat” Phil Hellmuth had an unforgettable spat. Garett’s straight face and naturally deep, rumbly voice make him a perfect fit for certain roles, and his prowess as a card player makes him an ideal fit for the poker table. Garett’s biggest-ever poker win was on Season 5 of the Celebrity Poker Showdown Championship, where he took home a cool $100k.
3. Aaron Paul
The Breaking Bad actor loves to take his mind off work and other commitments by enjoying a few hours of poker wherever possible. Paul was one of the contestants on the 2016 show The Cube. Players were gathered in a huge transparent rectangle (not a Cube, but you can’t win them all!) and entered into a heads-up poker showdown, which the audience could see from all angles. A year later, Paul was invited to another heads-up match and played against Cristiano Ronaldo, where he came off second-best. Never one to back down, the actor is still playing and has played in the PokerStars World Series of Poker tournament and made it to day two of the event.
4. Shannon Elizabeth
If you were ever a fan of the American Pie film series, you know who this actress is. What you probably don’t know about Shannon Elizabeth is that before she became Nadia in the well-known teen film franchise, she was such a good tennis player that she almost went pro! Shannon also loves to spend time playing poker, of course. Shannon thinks of poker as her second career and visits Las Vegas as regularly as she can to play with some of the best players on the planet. She’s been a semi-finalist in the NBC Heads Up Poker Champs and almost took home a World Series of Poker crown in 2007. Though her last public poker appearance was in 2013, the poker world does not easily forget a player with her talent.
5. Matt Damon
It’s no secret that this famed actor loves to play poker. He’s possibly one of the celebrities best known for loving a hand or two, and Matt Damon is no slouch as a player. Not only does he love the game in real life, but he has taken several roles that show off his gambling ability, too. Damon appeared in Rounders, widely acknowledged as one of the best gambling movies ever made, and in the Oceans series, though he was usually far from the tables. Damon prefers to keep his poker games off-screen and private, so he doesn’t play in many tournaments. It was his on-screen exploits in Rounders that initially inspired his love for the game of poker.
6. Jay-Z
One-half of the royal couple of the music business, Jay-Z, likes to try out high-class poker rooms wherever he tours. Jay has been seen around London poker rooms whenever he’s in the city for business or performances, and it’s rumored that he wasn’t always a particularly good player. Thankfully, his reputation has improved drastically, as has his poker strategy, and he now enjoys playing a few hands with celebrity poker fans like Alex Rodriguez. Jay usually likes to keep his games a little bit more on the private side.
Wrap-Up
These celebrities know how to have a good time, so they play poker! Whether they’re professionals or just play for fun, these celebrities enjoy poker for its risk and intrigue. Who knows, maybe you’ll see them at a table one day.
