Poker is a card game that people from all walks of life enjoy on a roughly regular basis. Actors and actresses like Ben Affleck, Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Tilly join athletic superstars like Rafael Nadal, and Ronaldo to make up just a few examples of some of the very notable figures that have been known to enjoy upping the ante every so often.
The Biggest Games Played behind Closed Doors
There is a secret aspect to the world of poker too, and some of the biggest games do not take place at glamorous venues like River Belle online casino, or even an actual poker club. Some of the wealthiest games in the world actually take place in the privacy of people’s homes, or inside hotel rooms in which the mega-rich trade pots that could mean a car or even a house or two to us mere mortals. Sometimes the games are not even about the money. It is simply about the famous faces that enjoy sitting down at a poker table away from the prying eyes of a public interested in dissecting their every move.
Tobey Maguire’s Game: All-In
Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nick Cassavetes, Rick Salomon, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jamie Gold and Phil Ivey are all rumoured players of Tobey Maguire’s game. The stakes were incredibly high. Although they started off at between US$100 and US$200, players were eventually buying in for around US$50 000, so the stakes were probably between US$500 and US$1000.
The games were played in the VIP section of the Viper Room, and are no longer operational. They had moved to New York, but it was eventually shut down. This was arguably the most well known celebrity poker tournament ever, and it featured in a tell-all book by Molly Bloom, the game’s facilitator.
Maguire was the original host for the game, but Bloom took it over eventually, and professional players sometimes joined the A-List Hollywood superstars in trying to find the Royal Flush. Bloom labelled Maguire the worst tipper and loser, but also said that he was the best player, and she commented on Affleck and Damon for how courteous they were at the tables. The players were all very low key, with few relying on gimmicks like fancy eyewear to improve their game, and always dressed down, belying their high roller status. Jamie Gold, the 2006 World Champion, who won US$12 million at the WSOP, apparently lost almost his total bankroll in one of these games.
Willie Nelson’s Home Game
Willie Nelson, Owen and Luke Wilson, Woody Harrelson and no doubt a big bag of weed enjoy this great card game at Nelson’s House located in Maui. Apparently these games are still ongoing, and although the stakes are not known, they take place every Monday evening at his house on the northern shore of Maui, in a town called Pai’a. Harrelson and the Wilsons are just a few of the celebrities rumoured to be partaking of the pot, so to speak, apparently whilst enjoying the breathtaking oceanic views from Willie Nelson’s house. Not very much is known about the game, but given how casual they sound, it is unlikely that the stakes are very high.
