Online poker continues to grow in popularity and is regarded as one of the most recognised casino games. As technology has progressed, we have seen variations of online poker which includes live, online and VR online poker. If you fancy trying your hand at video poker, you can find a variety of version here – https://casino.paddypower.com/c/video-poker.
But everyday people aren’t the only fans of poker, as the game has quite a following from celebrities. Here we will take a look at some of the biggest celebrities who happen to be some of the biggest fans of poker.
Matt Damon
Famous for his roles in the Jason Bourne series of films as well as Good Will Hunting and The Martian, Matt Damon is also an avid fan of poker. The Hollywood A-Lister has competed in several World Series of Poker tournaments over the years, including in 1998 when he was eliminated by poker professional Doyle Brunson.
Not only has he dabbled in poker tournaments, but he also starred in the 1998 underground high-stakes poker film Rounders. Damon plays the role of Mike McDermott, a reformed gambling addict who returns to playing big stake poker games in order to help his friend pay off his debts to loan sharks.
Ryan Reynolds
One of the biggest names in Hollywood at the moment, Ryan Reynolds is best known for his roles in Deadpool, The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Mississippi Grind. The latter film is, much like Rounders, is a film about a young gambler.
Reynolds believes that he is one of the most dangerous players to face at the table, but not because he can bluff his way to victory or see through the lies of his opponents, but rather, that he doesn’t have much of a clue, and those players are dangerous to play against.
Laura Prepon
Famous for her roles in That 70’s Show and Orange Is The New Black, Laura Prepon also spends her free time relaxing by playing a game of poker. But it’s not just a hobby for the TV star and she has managed to win some serious money from it. She plays frequently at big Hollywood games hosted by her celebrity friends, and has been reported to be a regular at the Bicycle casino in Los Angeles.
In 2005, Prepon combined her television career with her love of poker when she co-produced the E! Entertainment reality TV Show Hollywood Hold’em, featuring many celebrities holding poker tournaments at their homes.
Tobey Maguire
In the early 2000s, Tobey Maguire was world famous after starring as the web-wielding superhero Spiderman. Much like the others, he is a huge poker fan and began playing in tournaments in 2004 after being tutored by poker professional Daniel Negreanu.
You can find Tobey Maguire on ESPN’s coverage of the 2005, 2006 and 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event championship. Maguire has also played in the 2007 WSOP, surviving days 1a, 2a, and 3, but was eliminated in 292nd place on the fourth day, taking home $39,445 in prize money.
Shannon Elizabeth
Shannon Elizabeth, who starred in American Pie, is quite the regular in Las Vegas. Rumours suggest she visits Sin City up to three times a month, where she plays against some of the state’s high rollers, and can manage to more than hold her own.
At the turn of the decade, Elizabeth finished second in the WSOP Ante Up For Africa Charity Event for $79,776, but her biggest score came three years prior to that when she came third in the $25,000 buy-in NBC National Heads-Up Championship.