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Fans’ Most Loved and Loathed Poker-Playing Celebrities

June 8, 2022

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The World Series of Poker often draws various worldwide spectators to watch some of the game’s greats compete on the main stage, but this interest isn’t limited to the general public. Many of these fans – and sometimes the players themselves – include movie stars, musicians, professional athletes, and all sorts of celebrities.

While some poker fans may take comfort in sharing interests with some of the world’s most famous, others aren’t as keen on these celebrities taking the spotlight. Whether it’s due to their poker skills alone, or their Hollywood image, celebrity perceptions can vary significantly in the poker community.

A recent poll of the Replay Poker userbase sought to identify which celebrities were the most and least liked among poker players. According to the results, Jennifer Tilly and Matt Damon are liked most by players, while Jason Alexander and James Woods are the least liked.

Most Liked:

  1. Jennifer Tilly

The Oscar-nominated actress is by far the favorite among the Replay Poker community, with 34% of poll respondents choosing her as the celebrity poker player they liked most. This is about double the amount of votes the next favorite, Matt Damon, received. Furthermore, only 10% of participants chose Tilly as their least favorite, which was the second lowest, emphasizing her status as the most beloved.

A longtime player, Tilly has been a major face on the poker scene since the early-2000s boom, regularly participating in live tournaments as early as 2003. In fact, she made history at the 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP) for being the first celebrity to win a bracelet after besting 600 other players in the Ladies’ No-Limit Hold’Em event.

  1. Matt Damon

Matt Damon took the spot as the number two most liked celebrity player in Replay Poker’s poll. About 17% of participants chose the Good Will Hunting star as their favorite celebrity player. This puts him just ahead of Ben Affleck, who received 12% of the votes. When asked who their last favorite celebrity player was, only 8% chose Damon, which was the least among celebrities listed.

Damon’s Poker experience extends beyond his role in Rounders. However, his fame in the 1998 film did help him build popularity in the poker community, to the point that he played in the 2009 WSOP in the $5,000 buy-in Ante Up for Africa Charity Event.

Least Liked:

  1. Jason Alexander

When asked which celebrity poker player they liked the least, 19% chose Jason Alexander, making him the least favorite among the Replay Poker userbase. Only 5% chose Alexander as the one they like the most, further strengthening his position at the bottom of the list.

Along with being an avid player, Jason Alexander has been hosting an annual celebrity poker tournament for 20 years. Though his career poker earnings don’t put him at the top of any lists, the Seinfeld star is a big poker fan whose been using the love for the game to fuel charitable initiatives.

  1. James Woods

With 18% of the votes, James Woods was the second least liked celebrity poker player in the Replay Poker community. However, when asked which celebrity player they liked the most, 11% of respondents said Woods, putting him right in the middle of the list. The two-time Oscar nominee’s outspoken nature leads many people to consider him a polarizing figure, so it’s not surprising to see such a split in responses. Many comments on the Replay Poker poll even mentioned Woods by name, making him one of the most frequently appearing celebrities in the thread. Replay Poker user ACE_NEVADA stated, “I like James Woods for his personality and character. With that stated, I would expect he is likely a natural savvy poker player.” This supports the notion that while Woods’ fans aren’t large in number in the Replay Poker community, the ones that do like him offer strong support.

James Woods is one of the more recently prominent players on the list of celebs in our poll. He competed in several events during the 2021 and 2019 WSOP, placing 8th in the $2,500 Nine Game Mix Six Max in 2021.

The love of poker extends from kitchen tables to the red carpet. While several celebrities have made their poker habits known, there can be mixed feelings about these actors and actresses among the rest of the poker-playing community. With the WSOP being the premier event in professional poker, we can expect to see some of Hollywood’s best either participating or spectating. If you’re looking for a risk-free alternative to real money poker, or you’re looking to learn how to hone your skills, visit ReplayPoker.com now.