Hollywood's latest addiction - poker
Lili2
Hollywood's latest secret addiction?
Never mind cocaine.
According to Vanity Fair, it's the venerable game of poker - especially
the deceptively simple but nerve-wracking version known as Texas Hold
'Em, the so-called Cadillac of poker, with buy-in requirements as high
as $10,000 per player.
"If you had to make a list of the five most avid poker players in
Hollywood," writes VF's Duff McDonald, "it would be hard to argue with
Ben Affleck, Tobey Maguire, Mimi Rogers, James Woods and, in a blast
from the past, "Welcome Back, Kotter" star Gabe Kaplan.
Kaplan, whose showbiz career has been on the wane since the 1970s
sitcom stopped production, essentially turned pro 20 years ago and
today boasts tournament winnings totaling $1 million, McDonald reports.
"As a player, Maguire is variously described as intuitive, sponge-like
and passionate," McDonald writes. "Affleck, meanwhile, is said to be
aggressive and fearless, traits that can backfire at the table."
Rogers, an ex-wife of Tom Cruise, plays poker on the Internet for hours
each day, and since last March has parlayed a few hundred dollars into
$4,000.
And Woods is such a fanatic that he helped establish HollywoodPoker.com
so his fellow actors can give free rein to their obsession in
cyberspace.
The play ranges from lighthearted to deadly serious. David Schwimmer,
who handles his cards with grim determination, is a bad loser, and
cries out "Thank God!" whenever he wins the pot.
Agent Norby Walters hosts a more relaxed competition. He even
apologized one night to Jason Alexander when the "Seinfeld" star
dropped $200.
"Don't worry. I'm doing a million-dollar pretzel commercial tomorrow,"
Alexander replied.
"Tobey's game," at the "Spider-Man" star's Hollywood Hills estate,
"usually requires a $2,000 minimum buy-in," McDonald reports. But those
stakes are peanuts compared to the monthly "Billionare Boys game" at
poker professional Reagan Silber's Bel Air mansion, where Maguire,
Leonardo Di Caprio and other rich celebs plunk down $10,000 for a seat
at the table while savoring fine wines and gourmet cuisine.
Some Hollywood types are better bluffers than others, but
writer-producer Mitch Glazer is apparently an open book.
"You can generally tell when Mitch has a good hand," claims Anjelica
Huston, "because his nipples visibly harden."
Lili2
moria
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