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
Ray Romano (actor, comedian)
Romano has not won any official competitions, and the comedian has only won 20,000. According to the poker database, Romano won only 20 US dollars.
"Romano has competed in the World Series of Poker numerous times - in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2013 and 2015. He also starred in The Grand (read about it here), which revolved around poker.
However, it has long been rumoured that the comedian has a gambling problem. His areas of expertise go beyond poker, as he is also very fond of golf. In 2014, Romano admitted his gambling problem and joined the Gamblers Anonymous group. He managed to cope with these problems and, as we have already written, in 2015 he returned to WSOP events and occasionally participated in online golf betting.
"Poker is like getting a puppy. It's fun and exciting at first, but you know it's going to end in tragedy", Romano once said.
The actor himself admits that he is not a good poker player and cannot compete adequately with professionals. His best WSOP result was on Day 3. Well, like most, he started playing poker with friends as a teenager.
In 2014, Romano performed an unusual feat. On the occasion of his son's 21st birthday, he gave him not an ordinary gift, but a very special one - for CZK 5,000. He bought his son a seat at the WSOP for 5 million US dollars. Well, not bought, but added the rest, because the actor offered his son to save 5,000 and, if he succeeded, added the same amount to the required 10,000.
"Every time he played, he would text us to see how we were doing. When he plays in a game like this, it's a big event in our house. It's incredible to be able to be a part of it with him," said Matt Romano at the time.
John Boyega (actor)
"The Star Wars actor is not a big poker player, but he has been involved in one very high-profile game.
He joined other entertainment stars - footballer Neymar, actor Aaron Paul and other famous people - to try their hand at Heads Up duels hosted by PokerStars.
It was a series of YouTube videos where poker pros shared their knowledge with the entertainment world.
Participants in this event received $5,000 each to donate to any charity they wanted.
You can watch the gameplay video below.
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