t’s easy to look at actors on the big screen and make assumptions about what their personal lives are like. Depending on the star, we can almost see them as larger-than-life people who don’t do the things that us regular folks do. While that may be true in some regards, in others, even the biggest stars are just like us. They have a job and enjoy downtime afterwards. However, what they do for fun when they aren’t working may surprise you.
Here we’ll take a look at some of the actors who don’t just enjoy a quick game of poker but who take it pretty seriously. It’s not just a passing hobby for this list of actors, with many of them estimated to have won some impressive pots over the years. Let’s dive in.
Tobey Maguire
In terms of big ballers in the realm of poker, Tobey Maguire sits pretty high on the list of actors partaking in the activity. Not only is he an avid poker player, but the often high-stakes nature of the game doesn’t seem to faze him in the least.
Known for his role as Spiderman, it seems he may have some superhero skills off-screen, too. It has been rumored that Maguire has won a shocking $1 million per month over the course of several years playing poker. This means he would have raked in a hefty fortune just in poker alone, never mind his Hollywood career. If he’s even won even close to what is rumored, that clearly means he is indeed a very good and serious poker player.
Ben Affleck
Another huge Hollywood star who has openly spoken about his love of poker is Ben Affleck. Affleck is the kind of guy who has been known to walk into a casino and, without blinking, wager a huge stack of chips on a single hand. Supposedly, he’s not just a decent player but a pretty amazing one. Reports claim he once won $400,000 on a single round. A simple Google search will also produce many pictures of Affleck engrossed in a game of poker over the years.
Here’s an interesting tidbit about Affleck’s affinity for poker that you may not know. In 2004, the star hit it big when he won the California State Poker Championship. He has also taken part in the Ante Up for Africa tournaments for charity.
Matt Damon
Next up, we’ve got Affleck’s real-life BFF, Matt Damon. These two have been friends since the early 1980s. It’s a friendship that has spanned decades and evolved into a wildly successful business partnership. Damon even admitted that they opened a shared bank account when they were just starting their careers. When they wrote their screenplay for the award-winning Good Will Hunting movie, they solidified their Hollywood futures.
Considering these two have been tight since the early days, it’s not a huge surprise that Damon also enjoys poker. Damon got really serious about the game when he was studying for the role of a poker player in the movie Rounders. He even entered the ‘98 WSOP event as part of his research.
This connection between big-name celebrities and poker players actually makes sense when you dig a little deeper. There are some shared skills between serious poker players and actors. Think about it. In both acting and playing poker they need to perform, control their emotions, improvise in the moment, and quickly think of a strategy that leads to success.
Jennifer Tilly
While not fully Canadian, there is a bit of a Canadian angle on the list of actors who are serious poker players. Jennifer Tilly is an award-winning actress with both American and Canadian roots. Some of her standout movies include Bullets Over Broadway, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Liar Liar, and voicing the receptionist in the animated film Monsters, Inc. Sure, she’s a talented actress, but she’s also a talented poker player.
In 2005, she became the first-ever celebrity to win a massive poker tournament—the WSOP bracelet. But it didn’t end there. She went on to win other titles such as the World Poker Tour Ladies Invitational Tournament. It’s clear that Tilly knows her way around the poker table and isn’t intimidated by anyone. Canadian stars like Tilly are rumored to have got in some practice at the best casino sites in Canada before heading to the physical casino.
Kevin Hart
When you think of the actor Kevin Hart, there’s no doubt that one of his comedic performances comes to mind. He has starred in such hits as Jumanji: The Next Level, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Central Intelligence, and Get Hard. Just like so many other Hollywood celebrities, Hart also spends his free time enjoying casino games. Hart takes the game of poker so seriously that he has been an ambassador for partypoker and PokerStars.
It’s impossible to guess how much Hart has won over the years in poker, but it’s clear he loves the game. When you like a game that much and have played for that many years, there’s a good chance you’ve improved your skills over time.
A Well-Rounded List of Top Celebrities
Poker is the kind of game that is both challenging and straightforward. The rules are easy to grasp, as is the gameplay. Learning how to strategize, bluff, and go all in at the right time takes finesse and skill though. Each actor on this list seems to have mastered not only his or her professional craft, but also the game of poker.
