Top celebrity poker players, from Neymar to Jennifer Tilly

Poker appeals to celebrities of all varieties.

Whether its actors and actresses, athletes or musicians, some of the world’s most famous people have been regulars at the poker table for cash games or tournaments.

Here are seven of the best celebrity poker players:

Victoria Coren Mitchell — The popular TV presenter and host of the British quiz show “Only Connect” also is a formidable card player. She is the first woman to win a European Poker Tour event and one of three players to earn two live EPT Main Event titles. Her career live earnings are in excess of $2.5 million.

Gabe Kaplan — The star of the 1970s sitcom “Welcome Back, Kotter” and longtime commentator on “High Stakes Poker” was a solid pro for three decades. He has more than $2 million in documented tournament earnings, including a second-place finish at the World Series of Poker $5,000 Limit Hold’em event in 2005.

Tobey Maguire — The “Spider-Man” star is known for organizing and playing in the highest stakes underground Hollywood cash games, where he is estimated to have made up to $30 million to $40 million. His cutthroat reputation was depicted on the big screen as Player X in the 2017 film “Molly’s Game.”

Neymar — The Brazilian soccer star is on record saying he hopes to become a professional poker player once he hangs up his boots and serves as a cultural ambassador for online site PokerStars. His tournament results are limited, but he reportedly lost €1 million in an hour playing online in March 2023.

Richard Seymour — A three-time Super Bowl champion, the former NFL defensive lineman was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022. Since retiring, he has become a regular on the tournament scene with more than $772,000 in career live earnings. That includes two career cashes in the World Series of Poker Main Event.

Jennifer Tilly — The Academy Award-nominated actress has been a regular in high-stakes cash games and tournaments for more than 20 years. She has more than $1 million in career live tournament earnings along with a World Series of Poker bracelet for her victory in the 2005 Ladies No-Limit Texas Hold’em event.

James Woods — The Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated actor has more than $410,000 in career live earnings, with the majority of his winnings coming in mixed game variants. He narrowly missed out on winning a World Series of Poker bracelet in 2018, finishing fifth in the $1,500 Dealers Choice Six-Handed event.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.