Welcome to The Top Celebrity Poker Players

Celebrities often use their profile for good, working for a charity or setting up a foundation to help others. Here in the UK, we see ple...

Celebrities often use their profile for good, working for a charity or setting up a foundation to help others.

Here in the UK, we see plenty of quiz shows featuring the word “celebrity”, from I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here to Pointless Celebrities. Every episode pits famous faces against each other with a charity benefitting at the show's end. Viewers seem to love watching popular characters being put through their paces, and almost every show and game these days has a celebrity spin-off.

Whilst there isn't a celebrity poker show that has hit mainstream television in the UK, the poker circuit hosts such events. With plenty of famous faces enjoying poker, it makes sense for the game to be used as a vehicle for good. Some of Hollywood's biggest names have played in charity poker tournaments, raising lots of money for good causes and demonstrating their prowess around the felt at the same time.

Who are these celebrities? We've got a handful here for you.

Matt Damon

Matt Damon is the ultimate poker celebrity. Why? Because it was his character, Mike McDermott, that helped spark the original poker boom in 2003. He was the central protagonist in the film Rounders, which first presented the idea of winning $1m (£800,000) to an awe-inspired public.

Damon's character struggled with his poker bankroll management at the beginning of the film, but it's not a problem the actor has; his films have grossed almost $4bn (£3.18bn) during his career, making him one of the most lucrative stars of all time. He uses that around the felt, and as recently as 2020, he starred in a charity poker game with his long-time friend Ben Affleck.

Jennifer Tilly

Jennifer Tilly is best known for her role as angry step mum Samantha Cole in Liar Liar, which gave her a good grounding for bluffing her hand! Before that, she proved her strength as an actress after being nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Olive Neal in Bullets Over Broadway. She also terrified as Tiffany Valentine in Bride of Chucky, a horror movie spin-off from Child's Play, but her most recent performance came as herself in a documentary called Poker Queens.

Tilly has turned to poker, having been given a copy of a World Series of Poker video game by her father in her youth. She's racked up $1m (£800,000) winnings over her 17 years playing, and she's a regular on the charity poker circuit. She even hosted her own night, the All-In for Cerebral Palsy Celebrity Poker Tournament, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Tom Brady

Tom Brady is the most successful quarterback ever to play in the NFL, and he's still going today. He's won seven Super Bowl titles and is as well-known over here as in the States. Despite retiring at the end of the last season, the 44-year-old changed his mind and will start next season playing for Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's all-in on his American Football career, but he could well find a place around the poker table once he finally retires.

Last April, he was the subject of trash talk when he lined up in a celebrity tournament with Ebony Kenney, a Miami poker pro: she stated she couldn't wait to take his chips on social media. Other poker stars joined Brady at the felt, including Doyle Brunson, a legendary World Series of Poker star. The event was streamed on Twitch and raised $1.2m (£950,000) for hunger relief. Brady outlasted Ozark star Jason Bateman but went out on an all-in hand against YouTube personality Casey Neistat.