Crazy! Who are the celebrities hosting and playing for high stakes?

Poker is one of those games that has been played for centuries by people from all walks of life.

The growth and evolution of poker are fascinating, and its future is looking even brighter. It’s a thrilling game that demands your presence and gets your brain working as you improve your skills and test different strategies.

At the World Series of Poker (WSOP), you’ll even find some of the biggest celebrities who enjoy playing poker with friends or even professionally.

Celebrities known for their love of poker

Kevin Hart is a successful comedian and actor known for his enthusiasm for many different things. It came as a surprise when he attended live even in the Bahamas. Later, however, he returned to the tables in Monte Carlo and even partnered up with Stars.

Aaron Paul, the Breaking Bad star, joined the LA Sunset for the Global Poker League. He won both of his matches. He has also appeared in various WSOP events and live games in the Bahamas.

The actress and poker enthusiast Jeniffer Tilly is no stranger to the tables. In the past, she’s even won a WSOP bracelet.

Drake is another celebrity who loves the thrill of gaming. Known for his curious gambling habits, among which are placing six-figure bets on basketball games.

Michael Phelps, the Olympic legend, is not just a fish in the water but also a very skilled poker player. During his house share with pro player Jeff Gross, Phelps learned a lot. He’s participated in various tournaments in the Bahamas and the WSOP.

Actors and stars like James Woods, Gerard Pique, and Boris Becker have shown their love for the game. While others have seen great results in their gameplay, not all have experienced the same luck and excitement over the results.

Other poker enthusiasts considered among the poker royalty include Christiano Ronaldo (who has played on Pokerstars and coincidentally is the athlete with the highest earnings in 2023), Usain Bolt, and Rafael Nadal.

Celebrity poker nights with Molly Bloom

You may have watched Molly’s Game, but if you haven’t, it might be a great addition to your ‘must-watch’ list. It’s the tale of Molly Bloom and how she managed to host some of the biggest secret poker games with the goal of raking in the riches. Talk about the house edge being completely against you!

In her book, Molly mentions a number of famous poker players who took part in her games. These include celebrities like Nelly, Ben Affleck, Jamie Gold, Phil Ivey, Leonardo DiCaprio, and more. Some observers present during the game include Alex Rodriguez and the Olsen Twins.

The Molly Bloom poker experience

While there’s no straightforward answer, we’ve got a little more insight from Aaron Brown, the author of Poker Face. He says that during the mid-1970s New York was known for its celebrity, high stakes, raked poker games. There was ordinarily only one big game at a time.

With these games, organised crime had the belief that they were entitled to a share of the proceeds. However, the games were often fronted by people like Molly, who eventually got replaced by someone new after a couple of years.

According to Brown, Molly’s games may have been a bit more dramatic than the typical ones, or she may have added some dramatic flair to the book/movie. The majority of poker games were more sedate while maintaining luxurious surroundings. In short, it was a party for wealthy people with delicious food, expensive Cognac and cigars in an expensive apartment or venue.

The majority of players were celebrities or rich people who did not care about losing money as long as they had the chance to play with other celebrities. Some serious poker players also took part when they were looking for soft, high-stakes games.

Brown states that the dealers overraked shamelessly, and you weren’t allowed to win too much. It was, in essence, more about the gathering than the possible wins. These events were invite-only and included A-list, B-list, and C-list invitations. Another alternative way you could go is to be a guest of someone else who was invited.

The biggest pot won in a celebrity game

Behind the cameras at some high-stakes celebrity home games, you’ll find enthusiasts like Tobey Maguire, Ben Affleck, and Leonardo DiCaprio playing together. In their games, which also feature Yankee All-Star Alex Rodriguez, it was reported that Maguire managed to earn around $40 million from the home games within three years.

In terms of the largest publicised pot, we’ve got the big $3.1 million pot in Hustler Casino Live’s Million Dollar Game, with Tom Dwan and Welsey ‘We Side’ Fei in a face-off.