Poker is not a niche game that only a minority are exposed to. In contrast, poker is something that many people, whether they like card games or are encouraged by friends and social media, are exposed to.
That's why it's no surprise to us, and we don't think it's a surprise to you, that world-famous personalities - athletes, musicians, actors, etc. - sit down at the poker tables.
"PokerioMokykla.com presents its new entertainment section, where we will tell you about celebrities who have made their mark in the poker world.
Part I of the series of articles
Part II of the series of articles
Part III of the series of articles
Part IV of the series of articles
Part V of the series of articles
Part VI of the series of articles
Part VII of the series of articles
Part VIII of the series of articles
Part IX of the series of articles
Rick Salomon (poker player)
Normally, in this series of articles, we write about entertainment stars rather than poker players, but Salomon falls into both categories. He is a poker player who used to run an online gambling site. However, he is best known for his relationships with famous entertainers. Salomon has been married to actresses Elizabeth Daily (1995-2000), Shannen Doherty (2002-2003) and Pamela Anderson (2007-2008, 2014-2015).
During his lifetime, the player has managed to make a good living not only from poker, but also from his personal life. In 2003, during his relationship with Paris Hilton, the couple filmed their sexual intercourse and the video went viral on the internet. This led to the end of the couple's relationship and Salomon sued the company that distributed the video. A lawsuit was also filed against Ms Hilton's family, who tried to control the situation by claiming that Ms Hilton was a minor at the time of the incident (which would mean that the video was illegal).
A year later, Salomon withdrew the lawsuit and started distributing the video material himself with the help of a company. In return, Mr Hilton received USD 400 000 plus a percentage of the sales revenue.
He was also a clever player in poker. According to the database, he has won $6.4 million in official events. Last year alone, he managed to win €3 million in Monte Carlo events. According to unofficial information, he won $40 million in 2014 alone. Even more impressive, he won that amount playing with just ONE person. This is the information that Mr Anderson shared during his divorce.
In fact, it was the couple's divorce that brought this information to light. Rick sought an annulment under Nevada law, while Pamela sought a divorce under California law. A divorce would have meant that she could claim half of the poker player's winnings.
Salomon was rumoured to have scored his big win against real estate billionaire Andy Beale. Mr Anderson sought to publicise his former spouse's winnings in order to force him to pay taxes in California (there is no income tax in Nevada). In the end, everything was resolved when Salomon paid his ex-wife a million dollars.
Despite his achievements, he has also suffered major setbacks. On one occasion, he lost $50,000 in about 30 seconds. Salomon's life is a story worthy of a film.
Sam Simon (Producer)
The Simpsons co-creator, who lost his battle against cancer two years ago and left the world of the living, was a good poker player. He won $358,000 during his poker career. He mostly played small buy-in tournaments and placed high.
He has also reached the money zone six times at the WSOP. Who can he thank for all this? His grandfather, who introduced the producer to poker on family trips.
In addition to all the official competitions, Simon also took part in unofficial competitions with other members of the entertainment world.
Interestingly, he was married to Jennifer Tilly between 1984 and 1991, about whom we've already written here.
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