Can celebrities really manifest their dream roles through style choices?
Brad Pitt wasn't particularly interested in gambling until he scored a role in the 2001 movie 'Ocean's Eleven.' The plot centers around a casino heist and Pitt got into blackjack, poker, and slot machines to prepare for the role.
Comedian and actor Brad Garrett is also a semi-active professional poker player. He was skilled enough to earn a seat on the show 'Poker Night in America,' and held his own pretty well.
Edward Norton also starred in the movie 'Rounders' alongside Matt Damon, and he also developed his poker skills around that time. He's earned quite a name for himself in the celebrity poker world. Leonardo DiCaprio once auctioned off a poker game with Edward Norton as part of a charity fundraiser, and it sold for US$130,000.
Derren Brown is a famous magician, or mentalist as he prefers to be called, who has worked some of his magic in casinos. He was a professional blackjack and poker player and reportedly used his skills to guess his opponents' moves.
Tiger Woods is extremely wealthy as one of the world's top professional golfers, but he also has a reputation for bad behavior. He's been known to lose US$25,000 in a single blackjack bet, and has been given a betting limit in certain casinos.
James Woods is said to be a cool customer at the poker table. The actor went to MIT with the intention of becoming an eye surgeon before pursuing a more creative career path, so there's no doubt he's got the brains.
The Empress of Soul used to hit the casinos in between performances in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, favoring blackjack or baccarat. Knight revealed in her autobiography that she struggled with a gambling addiction for years.
Shannon Elizabeth is another actress turned poker master. While she isn't a hardcore player, she has entered some major competitions and earned around a quarter of a million US dollars.
NBA legend Charles Barkley amassed a large fortune during his career as a basketball player, and since his retirement he's been putting that money to work. Barkley is a regular poker player and is said to have earned huge sums at the card table since retiring. However, he also says he's lost around US$10 million at casinos!
'Spider-Man' star Toby Maguire has been an avid poker player since he was a teenager. It's rumored that he lost a substantial amount of money to Ben Affleck in 2004, but that hasn't stopped him from playing.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been close friends and collaborators for decades. Another thing they share is their interest in gambling. Damon had always enjoyed visiting casinos and playing poker, but his game got a serious boost when he starred in the 1998 movie 'Rounders.'
Ben Affleck is a man of many talents. The actor, director, and writer also has a reputation for playing poker at amateur and professional level.
Rapper 50 Cent enjoys a game of poker or blackjack, but he's also made some impressive bets. He put US$2 million on Floyd Mayweather Jr. to win his fight against Manny Pacquiao, earning him a fortune!
Damon plays an expert gambler in the movie, and he was trained by legendary poker player Johnny Cahn to prepare for the role. He continued to use his new skills long after filming ended!
Maguire has taken part in several of Hollywood's elite private games, which were the inspiration for the 2017 movie 'Molly’s Game.' It tells the true story of a young female poker player who finds herself in trouble with the FBI.
Clooney once even tried to invest in building his own casino. It was set to be built in Las Vegas and was going to be called Las Ramblas, but the plans fell through and he lost millions. That particular gamble didn't pay off.
Acclaimed director Todd Philips, know for his films 'Joker' (2019) and 'The Hangover' (2009), is another big Hollywood roller. He won US$250,000 in cash at the Legends of Poker event in 2005.
Sources: (Celeb Mix) (The Logo Creative) (Card Player) (Best US Casino) (The Frisky)
See also: The most extravagant celebrity purchases
Those who play with Woods say he has an uncanny ability to maintain a conversation during the game, distracting others but continuing to make calculated moves himself.
Pamela Anderson is a fan of a little game of poker game every now and then. She's not at the professional level, however, quite the contrary. She's been known to lose US$250,000 in one night!
Drake recently lost over US$230,000 when he bet that Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc would win the Spanish Grand Prix. “First F1 bet, let’s see how it goes,” the Canadian rapper had shared to his Instagram Story, revealing he bet CAD$300,000 with cryptocurrency betting platform, Stake. Well, it didn't go too well.
Leclerc, who was leading the world championship when Drake placed the bet, lost the lead on May 22 after suffering an engine failure. Instead, Max Verstappen took victory in Barcelona, along with the lead of the championship over Leclerc.
Not only is Jennifer Tilly a legend of stage and screen, she's also a semi-professional poker player. She has taken part in the World Series of Poker and won the Ladies No-Limit Hold’em competition. She has earned around US$1 million in poker wins
Socialite and heiress Paris Hilton is a Las Vegas regular, and reportedly loves to play casino games. It's said that she won US$30,000 on one particular trip.
It's rumored that Hilton also enjoys playing casino games online and on apps, but she does so anonymously.
Gambling is a pastime best suited to the rich and famous. A Hollywood A-lister isn't going to have to remortgage their house after a night at the casino. Losing hundreds of thousands in one sitting is all part of the fun for them. That being said, some celebs have got some serious skills when it comes to card games. In fact, many could probably become professional poker players if the whole acting thing gets boring!
Click through the gallery to see which celebrities are pro-gamblers, and which ones just like throwing away their money.
Star footballer Gerard Piqué learned to play poker while he was with Manchester United. Since then, he has entered the World Series of Poker and the European Poker Tour, taking home around a quarter of a million US dollars.
High stakes: Celebrities who like to gamble
And we're not talking about penny slots here
CELEBRITY Hobbies
Gambling is a pastime best suited to the rich and famous. A Hollywood A-lister isn't going to have to remortgage their house after a night at the casino. Losing hundreds of thousands in one sitting is all part of the fun for them. That being said, some celebs have got some serious skills when it comes to card games. In fact, many could probably become professional poker players if the whole acting thing gets boring!
Click through the gallery to see which celebrities are pro-gamblers, and which ones just like throwing away their money.