Credit – Brent Stafford
Poker has long been ingrained in common culture, be it through films, music or celebrity players.
Whilst plenty of Hollywood films use poker and casinos as a backdrop for their movies, some real-life music stars often drop the mic and move around the tables to try their luck at poker. It’s an attractive draw for wealthy musicians looking to let off steam after a busy schedule of touring, recording or promoting.
We’ve found a selection of famous recording artists who are known for spending hours looking to get the better of their opponents on the felt.
Jay Z
Credit – Flickr
Jay Z is one of the richest five celebrities in the world, with a net worth of around $600m. With means like that, it’s little surprise he likes to relax and try his hand at poker every now and again.
He once lost $500,000 in a game, believing his pair of queens was good enough to secure the hand. It wasn’t, his opponent had a flush and he walked away significantly out of pocket.
However, with such an iconic star often seen around a table, he’s an excellent ambassador for the game.
Casanova 2x
Credit – biocassavaplus
Casanova 2x might need some help when it comes to playing poker. Pokertube report that he was once ejected from the MGM in Las Vegas after one of his party fell asleep around the table; that’s surely not a good tactics to be employing in a high-stakes game.
If he’s looking to take the game up full time, it’s likely he’s going to need a few pointers to avoid Jay Z style losses. The poker school on partypoker provides players tactics on when best to fold and to go all in. However, the very best tactic, that Casanova 2x probably needs to start with is one of the basics, and that is he and friends should stay awake during games.
Nelly
Credit – Hip Hop Vibe
Rap star Nelly shot to fame with his solo album Country Grammar in 2000, selling more than eight million copies in the US alone. He’s a keen poker player and has competed in a number of tournaments such as the 2007 World Series of Poker, PokerStars European Tour and PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
He’s not in it for the money though; a Contact Music article explains how, after one big win around the tables, Nelly gave his winnings to charity.
It’s believed he may have been a client of Molly Bloom, the organizer of high-stake games who recently became the subject of Hollywood movie ‘Molly’s Game’.
Ja Rule
Credit – Stereogum
The rapper once had a famous feud with Eminem and was well-known for his hit single ‘Holla Holla’. As well as being a successful rapper throughout the last two decades, he’s also a big poker player.
He’s such a huge fan he once launched his own online poker room, although much of his poker took place in various charity events.
Coolio
Credit – Pokertube
The Gangster’s Paradise singer shot to fame with the signature tune from the film Dangerous Minds, but he proved to be more of a cunning mind when he is sat around a poker table.
He once appeared on an episode of Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown and was known to play much more in private. He can often be found now turning up to charity events along with the likes of Ja Rule.