Poker is a game that has always had something of an edge to it, a sense of danger that gives it an appeal you just don’t find with other card games. The growth of the World Series of Poker in the 1980s added big money and gave the top players sports star status. It’s perhaps unsurprising against that sort of backdrop that other celebrities soon wanted to get in on the action and prove their poker skills.
We’ve all seen the names. Matt Damon, Boris Becker, Ben Affleck, Tobey Maguire. They’ve all gone up against the best and acquitted themselves in style. But a glaring common factor among them demonstrates that poker is still a male-dominated pursuit.
There’s no physiological reason for this to be the case. Physical strength or size doesn’t put you at an advantage. In fact, if you dig a little deeper, you find that while they are dramatically outnumbered, there are plenty of women on the pro circuit. Their numbers are growing all the time, and sites like Legal US PokerSites provide useful information on where to get a game. There are also some famous names who are leading the way and showing that poker really is a game for everyone. Let’s meet three of them.
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Jennifer Tilly
Yes, it’s Tiffany from the original Child’s Play movies! She was also a regular on a whole lot of famous TV shows back in the 1980s, most notably Hill Street Blues. If you’re wondering why she’s not been on screen much lately, it’s because today she is very much focused on her poker career. In 2005, she became the first celebrity player to win a WSOP tournament. So eat that, Affleck, it’s definitely a score for girl power!
Shannon Elizabeth
The American Pie star is one of those people we’d all hate if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s just so nice. Prior to hitting it big in Hollywood, she was on the verge of turning pro as a tennis player. Then she turned her back on movie making to pursue yet another career on the pro poker circuit. Once again, she’s knocked it out of the park, mixing it with the very best at the high-stakes tables in Vegas. Is there anything this woman can’t do?
Aisha Tyler
You probably remember her best as Charlie Wheeler in Friends, but Aisha is an incredibly versatile actress. She was even a voice actor, playing Lana in the controversial animated series Archer and has performed stand-up comedy routines in between her acting roles.
On top of all that, she is a dedicated gamer and is famous for her love of games like Halo. By now, you’re probably not surprised to hear that she finds time to participate in high-stakes poker tournaments, too, where she’s eager to take on the best players, male or female, celebrity or pro. She’s a true inspiration on so many levels and is exactly what women’s poker needs.
If you are interested in even more entertainment-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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