Poker has drawn in celebrities from many fields – both actors and musicians alike have found a passion for this thrilling cerebral game!
Kevin Hart is no stranger to the poker table, having participated in multiple tournaments and games over time. Most notably, in one high stakes matchup he defeated 16-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth for victory!
Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu is one of the world’s best-known poker players, known for his skill, intuitive gameplay, and strategic brilliance in tournament play. Beyond tournament play, Negreanu’s influence extends far beyond tables; he remains dedicated to poker education and community outreach initiatives.
He launched Full Contact Poker, an immensely popular forum for poker discussion and strategy, in 2005. Additionally, he promoted and sponsored various live poker events as part of this endeavor.
He has earned four World Series of Poker bracelets over his career and been recognized with several big-money victories. Additionally, he is an active supporter of charities – contributing both money and time towards animal welfare organizations.
Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey is one of the premier players in poker, boasting both tournament and cash game success. He gained notoriety as “No Home Jerome,” due to his frequent visits to Atlantic City casinos where he would gamble away huge sums on nearly every hand he played.
Ivey offers his favorite strategies for winning poker in this MasterClass. He discusses table positioning’s importance, dispels a common misconception regarding hand range charts and instructs students in the most efficient ways to defend blinds. Furthermore, Ivey reveals his betting tactics such as getting worse hands to call your bet or disguising a bluff he uses when calling bets or making bluff calls.
Erik Seidel
Erik Seidel does not like discussing his poker strategies openly. He’s known as an unassuming individual with plenty of tenacity – likely contributing to his success as an tournament player.
Prior to turning his focus towards poker, he competed as a tournament backgammon player. Since switching over, he has had tremendous success, including finishing as runner-up in the 1988 World Series of Poker against Johnny Chan (whose hand became well-known due to being featured in Rounders movie), winning eight WSOP bracelets as well as events such as Aussie Millions and WPT Foxwoods tournaments.
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth is one of the best-known professional poker players around, known for his aggressive play since the late 1980s and his signature boisterous demeanor at the table. Additionally, his celebrity status has enabled him to market poker and secure sponsorships that have brought in significant amounts of revenue outside the realm of professional gaming.
Hellmuth holds 15 World Series of Poker bracelets and over 200 WSOP cashes, as well as being well-known in Silicon Valley due to his close ties with venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya and Elon Musk. Although some consider him too tight for heads-up play, Hellmuth has pulled off some significant bluffs during his six High Stakes Duel wins – often winning on key bluffs!
Gabe Kaplan
Kaplan has long been one of the go-to commentators on shows such as High Stakes Poker. Additionally, he has provided commentary for various World Series of Poker (WSOP) events and the National Heads-Up Championship (NHUC).
Although he didn’t win a WSOP main event, his experiences at the tables inspired him to sharpen his skills and refine them further. He often plays in high buy-in poker games that include A-list celebrities.
Watch Kaplan play Tom Dwan off with an entertaining bluff! His success at both the poker table and Hollywood shows his willingness to take risks; furthermore, it serves as an inspiring lesson about life being like a poker game.
Shannon Elizabeth
Actors and celebrities enjoy playing poker as it is an entertaining pastime that can bring in some extra cash. Some celebrities are even quite adept at it!
Jennifer Tilly is a talented actress who has found immense success in poker. The 2021 “Child’s Play” reboot star boasts over $1 Million in live tournament earnings and is known as an experienced tournament player.
Tilly first came into prominence at the World Series of Poker in 2005 by winning the Ladies No-Limit Texas Hold’em event, earning her an $83,566 payday and becoming an instant star on the poker scene. Since then, Tilly has competed in multiple high-stakes cash games and tournaments, such as finishing second at 2007 NBC Heads-Up Championship for an $79k payday.
