Are Celebrity Poker Players Good or Bad for the Game?

Poker is played by people of all backgrounds and social classes. A pack of cards and some playing chips is all that is required to enjoy a game of poker, making it an easy game to play. Some people go on to make a career from playing poker professionally, having worked their way up to the top tables. However, aside from the poker players who have become famous due to their poker skills, we also have several celebrities playing the game. The question is, are celebrity poker players good or bad for the game?

Celebrity Poker Players

Some celebrity poker players have performed at the highest level. Telly Savalas, famous for playing Kojak in the 1970s television series was a hugely skilled celebrity poker player. He travelled regularly to Las Vegas to participate in big poker tournaments and played in several World Series of Poker events. He had a third and fifth placer finish in WSOP events and became the face of travel club Player’s Club International. Tobey Maguire is another actor who has played in several WSOP plus the Grand Slam of Poker and the National Championship of Poker. Mimi Rogers, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Shannon Elizabeth, and Jennifer Tilly are all examples of celebrities who have regularly played poker at a high level.

Positives of Celebrity Poker Players

Celebrity poker players are good for the industry because they can generate more interest in the game. If a famous actor or actress is playing in a televised poker tournament, fans of that person, who may have no previous interest in poker, might tune in to watch. This could lead to more people becoming interested and playing the game in the future. Brands pay celebrities a lot of money to promote their products but when a celebrity plays in a poker tournament, it increases the interest in the event without having to pay the celebrity. For those who want to try playing poker immediately after seeing a celebrity in action, online poker is available 24/7. Poker, along with blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and Australian online pokies real money games are easily accessible online.

Negatives of Celebrity Poker Players

Most of the big-name celebrities have enough money to play poker without having to worry about losing. They can enter tournaments where vast amounts of cash are on the line in the knowledge they can afford to lose and walk away without any concerns. The same cannot be said for the average person, who could not afford to enter the same level of tournament. However, it could lead to people playing poker online at levels they cannot afford as fans like to try and emulate their favourite celebrities. Watching a celebrity play poker can give off a false impression of what it is really like to play poker and that could be detrimental to those who see them in action and decide to try and follow them.

However, for those who see celebrities playing poking and want to try the game themselves, within their own means, it can only be a good thing.

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