Poker is a game that, in the U.S. at least, an estimated sixty million people enjoy. It has entranced politicians, actors, musicians, athletes, and writers for its complexity and challenge. But who has been the best “celebrity” poker player? Let us examine some of the candidates for the top honor.
Best Politician Poker Player
Everyone knows the term “the buck stops here,” but how many know where the term comes from? It dates to poker circa the late 1800s, when a buckhorn knife was placed into the table to indicate who was dealing in the hand. That became “the buck” of yore when President Harry Truman, an avid poker player, used the phrase “the buck stops here” to indicate he was the one to make the final decision.
Truman wasn’t the only politician to make some of his money at the poker table. President Richard Nixon is said to have funded his adventures in the Navy by playing cards, including funding his first Congressional run. President Barack Obama was also known to enjoy a good card game, bringing together opponents and friends alike while in the Illinois Legislature and, later, once he was in the U.S. Congress. These games are also said to have continued when President Obama was in the White House.
Best Actor Poker Player
For quite some time, there was poker programming on television that was dedicated to actors playing poker. Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown was the focal point of many of these performers, and online poker sites would rush to slap a logo on these celebrities to garner attention for their site. But who were the best of these players?
There is no doubt that leading the way was actor Jennifer Tilly. Thus far, the Academy Award-nominated actor is the ONLY one to have earned a major poker championship (in Tilly’s case, the 2005 Ladies’ No Limit Hold’em Championship), and she continues to battle on the felt today. Tilly has also earned induction into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame due to not only her play but also her advocacy for women in the game.
While we would like to name Tobey Maguire (Spider Man) alongside Tilly, we seriously cannot; there has been no documented evidence of his skills in the game. Thus, if we were to have to pick another actor, we would have to go with comedian Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), who has competed on multiple poker stages.
Best Musician Poker Player
Perhaps because they are on tour frequently with a great deal of downtime, musicians have become exceptionally good at the game of poker. One of the best is Anthrax lead guitarist Scott Ian, who not only steps up for charitable games but also was one of the few musicians who earned a poker sponsorship. At one point, Ian played as a patched player for Ultimate Bet, and he took that responsibility seriously whenever he stepped to the baize (virtual or otherwise).
But all musicians would pale in comparison to the late Steve Albini. Albini, who was responsible for producing such notable acts as Nirvana, The Pixies, and PJ Harvey, is the MOST accomplished “celebrity” poker player in that he has won two World Series of Poker bracelets (2018, $1500 Seven Card Stud, 2022 $1500 H.O.R.S.E.). It is conceivable that Albini, who passed away about a year ago after a heart attack at 61, would have kept racking up poker accomplishments – when he could fit the game into his busy music schedule.
Best Athlete Poker Player
Let’s put aside the question of whether poker is a sport and concentrate on athletes alone, shall we? Athletes gravitate towards poker because of the competitive aspects; after having physically competed for much of their lives, poker allows these highly combative people to continue to compete at some level. Thus, seeing an athlete at the tables should not come as a surprise.
Once again, we must employ the Tobey Maguire Rule here; Michael Jordan’s propensity for gambling is well known, but nobody has actually witnessed what his game is like outside private games. We’re going to have to go with those we have seen, and we will start with three-time Super Bowl champion Richard Seymour.
Seymour wrapped up his NFL career in 2012 and almost immediately stepped from the green fields of football to the green velvet of poker. Since 2014, Seymour has competed at the highest levels of poker, with his career earnings approaching $800,000. His most significant finish was at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure High Roller tournament in third place for $376,360. You have to believe that his breakthrough win is coming sometime soon.
Best Writer Poker Player
By the numbers (and not reputation, Ernest Hemingway!), we would have to conclude that the best writer who has played poker is James McManus. McManus was on assignment in 2000 for Harper’s Magazine to write about the WSOP and the increase in women playing the tournament. Simultaneously, the murder trial for Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish (who were accused of killing Benny Binion’s son, Ted) was going on in Las Vegas. McManus combined the two efforts, making one of the great literary efforts, poker-related or not.
Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion’s World Series of Poker has become one of the pinnacle books on poker, sealing McManus’ place in poker history. He has also contributed Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker, which is about the closest thing to a poker “history book” that there can be. McManus can walk the walk on the tables, too, earning over $800,000 in his career.
Who would you put on these lists as YOUR “celebrity” poker player?
The post Who Are the Best “Celebrity” Poker Player? appeared first on Poker News Daily.
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