10 celebrities who you may not know are serious poker players
Poker's origins, like many card games, are a bit of a mystery. Scholars do know that France refined the game, changing its name to "poque." It eventually made its way to French-colonized Louisiana in the early 1800s, where it was called "poker." It wasn't until 2003, however, when the card game entered what's considered a modern "poker boom."
Many credit the 1998 movie "Rounders" and the introduction of real-money online card rooms like Planet Poker as the catalysts for the centuries-old game's resurgence, but it was a Tennessean accountant named Chris Moneymaker who opened the floodgates when he won the World Series of Poker's prestigious Main Event after gaining entry through an online qualifying tournament with an $86 buy-in. He cashed $2.5 million, proving anyone could win big.
In 2003, the Main Event drew 839 entrants, and by 2006, that number grew more than tenfold to 8,773. The poker boom attracted anyone and everyone, including celebrities who had the added benefit of deep pockets for high-stakes games.
While some celebrities racked up debt thanks to their poker habits (Pamela Anderson once lost $250,000 in a single night), others are quite skilled at the game. Comedian Kevin Hart has been sponsored by well-known poker brands and (in)famously won $40,000 after misreading his hand, while "Rounders" star Matt Damon participated in the WSOP in 2009.
Clubs Poker compiled a list of 10 celebrities you may not know are serious poker players, using data from The Hendon Mob. Every name on the list has cashed out more than $100,000 in total live earnings, with two eclipsing $1 million.
