The Poker Hiphop: Jay-Z

One of the famous hip-hopper, agent, songwriter, businessman and no good poker player Jay-Z, by his real name Shawn Corey Carter, has recently developed a new passion, for which he seems willing to allocate not only time, but also significant amounts of money.




Playing blackjack and poker are his game, beyond his special talent for music which brought significant amounts of money to his personal treasury, Jay-Z has discovered another talent of his: he loves poker and seems to be getting better and better at it.




In 2008, Jay-Z revealed his passion for poker while in London, with the occasion of a tour in UK. Back then he stated that he liked to play at the casinos in London and that he likes playing especially because the press is not always watching him.

Jay-Z considers himself to be an expert with regard to gambling and he thinks that he is difficult to defeat in poker or blackjack.




“I am a pretty good player, almost professional. I won’t give names because I don’t want to ruin it all, but there are here (i.e. in London) all sorts of private clubs in West End, where you can go and play and where the atmosphere is super cool”, said Jay-Z.





His passion for poker is also shared by the rapper’s wife, Beyonce Knowles. The diva prefers the casino Fifty, a location where neither she nor her husband is in short supply of thousands of dollars to spend at the playing poker.

Jay-Z is not famous only for his talent at poker, but also for the colossal losses registered on account of his passion. The most notorious news about Jay-Z is the one referring to the loss of nearly one million dollars on a single hand of poker in Las Vegas, at the end of 2008.




With all these, with an estimated personal fortune of $547 million, it’s not hard to see that the amount lost did not represent that much and that high-stake gambling are not a problem for the rapper. Moreover, the rapper would be extremely interested of opening his own casino in Vegas, an area which he visited many times next to Beyonce. It seems that Jay-Z intends to extend his business from Atlantic City, the 40/40 club, and to turn it into a location for gambling.




Like most celebrities keen on gambling, Jay-Z is no stranger to poker tours for charity purposes in which many important names from all fields of activity, especially show-biz, take part.

Even more, the rapper even organized together with the star of the “Yankees” team, Alex Rodriguez, a poker tour for celebrities in his club in New York, with the purpose of raising money for charity. The celebrities to take part in the event included Nelly, Ashanti, Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey, Dj Clue, Anthony Mackie and much more.

Source URL: http://hayleyatwellstuff.blogspot.com/search/label/casino%20poker
Visit hayley atwell for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Celebrity Player: Adrian Grenier

A Stunning, athletic bachelor and leading actor from one of Young Hollywood's favorite shows, Entourage, Adrian Grenier catches every woman's eye in the TV series and now, at the poker table.








Entourage frontman Adrian Grenier showed up, and we won $1500 in poker chips before e betting it all on a single hand.




Adrian Grenier took part in the invite-only Style Lounge Celebrity Poker Tournament benefiting The Creative Coalition in anticipation of the 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards. For those celebs looking to meet stiff competition, UltimateBet.com is dispatching several Team UltimateBet players, including the infamous Annie Duke, to host poker clinics and play in the charity tournament.



The cocktail party prior to the tournament will be hosted by Ellen Pompeo of the Emmy nominated show Grey’s Anatomy, Andre Braugher 4 time Emmy winner and nominee for best lead actor in a miniseries for Thief, and Clifton Collins Jr. nominee for best supporting actor in a miniseries for Thief.




Celebrity guests include DJ AM, Bijou Phillips, Cheryl Hines, Danny Masterson, Dax Shepard, Fran Drescher, Jack Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, Jason Reitman, Jerry Ferrara, Joe Reitman, Eric Millegan, Andy Milonakis, John Hensley, Johnathon Schaech, Kathy Nijimi, Lauren German, Lukas Haas, Nicholas Gonzalez, Patrick Van Horn, Paul McCrane, Richard Schiff, Robin Tunney, Robin Weigert, Roger Cross, Stephen Collins, Steve Aoki, Sunny Mabrey, Tim Daly, Tyler Hilton and many more.





The Style Lounge Celebrity Poker Tournament will feature catering by Spread Nouveau Comfort Food. Flowers provided by K Bella Designs and VIP shuttling by Audi. Music will be provided by DJ Samantha Ronson and DJ Morty.





About Adrian Grenier: Adrian Grenier was in New York working with City Harvest picking up food from local bakeries and restaurants and delivering it to the Yorkville Common Pantry, which works to fight hunger.




He split her girlfriend Isabel Lucas, just weeks after Isabel was discovered to be the passenger in a car crash with Shia LaBeouf.





Grenier also appeared in Britney Spears' music video You Drive Me Crazy alongside actress Melissa Joan Hart.





Grenier has also appeared on films like Love in the Time of Money and Hart’s War in 2002. He was also cast as Clay Askins in Bringing Rain and played Ray Polito in Anything Else. In 2004, he landed the lead role in the HBO series Entourage. This brought him success and pushed his career onto the mainstream.





Two years later, he won the role of Anne Hathaway’s character’s boyfriend in The Devil Wears Prada. In 2008, he was cast as Dallas Houston in the comedy Adventures of Power. Grenier is also the member of two bands, as a lead singer in Kid Friendly and as a drummer in The Honey Brothers.



Source URL: http://hayleyatwellstuff.blogspot.com/search/label/casino%20poker
Visit hayley atwell for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Yancey Arias

Actor Yancey Arias was a poker player at the World Poker Tour's Five Diamond Classic at the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas in December, 2005, where he competed alongside such celebrity participants such as James Woods, Vince van Patten, Kane Hodder, Dule Hill, Kirk Acevedo, Philadelphia Phillie Lenny, and Kato Kaelin.



However, despite such an array of celebrity talent, it was an unknown from Denmark, Rehne Pederson, who took down the monster 1st Place prize, walking with just over $2 million.



Most people may recognize Yancey Arias as an actor who stars in such television series as "Thief" and "Kingpin." But this television actor has also been appearing in motion pictures. Read on to find out more about the life of Hollywood actor Yancey Arias inside and outside of show business.


Born in New York City on June 27, 1971, Yancey Arias had always been interested in acting as a child, which is why he decided to take up theater when he went to college at Carnegie Mellon University. What really jumpstarted his career was his opportunity to be one of the cast members of the Broadway production titled "Miss Saigon." That was in 1992 and since then, he has started to receive offers in the entertainment industry.


Some of the television programs and films that he has starred or guested in are "The Division," "CSI: Miami," "The Shield," The Time Machine," "JAG," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "The Sopranos," "Law & Order," "New York Undercover," "Pro-Am Poker Equalizer," "Live Free or Die Hard," "Walkout," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," and "American Family Season 2."



Yancey Arias will also star in several motion pictures that will be released in U.S. cinemas in 2008, including "Fire Bay," "Street Dreams," and "Hotel California." Despite his busy schedule in television and film, Yancey Arias still finds time to work on stage.



After his participation in the Broadway production "Miss Saigon," he also starred in the theatrical production "The Wild Party" in 2000 wherein he played the lead character.




Yancey Arias, who is of Puerto Rican and Colombian descent, is also one of the actors who play poker well. This celebrity poker player can be seen in several poker events. In fact, it was in December 2005 when he joined the Five Diamond Classic event of the World Poker Tour.



It was held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the famous Bellagio Casino. These celebrity poker player here may not have won in such event, but it was a great opportunity for him to have competed against his fellow celebrities, namely, Kato Kaelin, Phillie Lenny, Kirk Acevedo, Dule Hill, Kane Hodder, Vince Van Patten, and James Woods.



Such Five Diamond Classic event was one of a kind because nobody won among all the celebrity poker players who attended. The person who took home more than US$2 million was not a celebrity or was not known at all.



So, aside from guesting or starring in television programs and motion pictures, this celebrity poker player also knows how to have fun by playing poker with his fellow celebrities or just about with any poker player.

And when this celebrity poker player is not playing poker, he makes it a point that he spends his time with his wife Anna Carolina. The couple has been residing in Los Angeles, California since 2001.




Source URL: http://hayleyatwellstuff.blogspot.com/search/label/casino%20poker
Visit hayley atwell for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Celebrity Poker Player: Sara Rue

Some stars leave TV for the notable movie scenes, and leave the big screen for the poker table or turned back to regularity of TV after having been in the movie mill for a while. But so far, Sara Rue has kept dealing in each world.





In 2005, Sara Rue took part as Hollywood Poker celebrated its one year anniversary, the event appealed to numerous celebrities including Vince Van Patten, Rebecca Romijn Stamos, Allison Janney, Deborah Gibson, Dennis Quaid, Dick Van Pattern, Maxwell Caulfield, Paige Peterson,Paris Lastis, Patricia Rae, Rex Smith, Rodney Carrington, Roger Cross, Ronny Cox, Rosalie Ward, Samm Levine, Sarah Kozer, Scott Baio, Shannon Elizabeth, Steve Valentine, Susan Blakely, Willie Garson, Tom McGowan, Michael DeLorenzo, Pamela Gidley, Jimmy Van Pattern, Anthony Anderson, Ashley Peldon, Bai Ling, Becky Boger, Chris Jones, Christi Shake, Darcy Donovan, Ian Gomez, Janel Maloney, Jeffrey Ross, Jessalyn Gilsig,Joe Santos, Jon Henson, Josh Malina, Joyce Van Patten, Katie Lohmann, Keira Chaplin, Kelly Hu, Kirsten Storms, Thea Andrews, Tiffany Holliday, and Tracey Scoggins.



The poker tournament boosted nearly $50,000 for charity through online tournaments and a silent auction. A $290,000 bid was placed a 2005 Porsche Carerra GT, donated by Porsche North American Troy Hanson.


Sara Rue was doing really well when he was on Celebrity Poker Showdown. Playing against Sean Astin, Lauren Graham and Matthew Perry. However, before finally being toppled in a heads-up match with Lauren Graham when he unwisely bluffs all-in with an unsuited 7-2.


Sara Rue participated at the 6th Annual World Poker Tour Invitational held at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California. Moreover, last July 2 opened Ante Up For Africa poker tournament that held as part of the 2009 World Series Of Poker.


Sara Rue participated the event with other co-stars Danny Masterson, Ben Affleck,Jason Kidd, Mekhi Phifer, Shawn Marion, Cedric The Entertainer, Cheryl Hines, Tia Carrere and Rob Schneider.


The event will become part of ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 World Series Of Poker, joining the $40,000 buy-in tournament celebrating the Series’ 40th running, the Champions Invitational, and the Main Event. Viewers can catch up into ESPN on Tuesday, August 11th to catch all of the action from the Ante Up for Africa fundraiser.


About Sara Rue: Sara Rue began her own acting career at the age of 9, performing in the film Rocket Gibraltar. Her second acting endeavor was an appearance on the television comedy Grand with celebrity poker player Cheryl Hines. She won critical acclaim for her television series debut, starring in the comedy Grand, before going on to work on The Division and Popular. She also had a regular television appearances on many shows including, Phenom, Minor Adjustments, Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane and Popular.


Also, she made an appearnce as a guest on television shows such as ER and Will & Grace.


She has appeared in several films like A Map of the World, Can't Hardly Wait, A Slipping Down Life, Gypsy 83 and had a bit part as a babysitter in Gore Verbinski's adaptation of The Ring, and so amazed director Michael Bay that a role was written into the Pearl Harbor movie for her.








Source URL: http://hayleyatwellstuff.blogspot.com/search/label/casino%20poker
Visit hayley atwell for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Celebrity Poker Payer: Laura Prepon

It seems that the gambling habit can affect anybody! Celebrity poker players have been spotted all over Las Vegas in the run up to this years WSOP – some happier to be spotted betting on the turn of a card than others! But, who are the A-List celebrities that possess more than a passing interest in gambling?







Former star of the sitcom “That 70’s Show” and totally obsessed with poker. Laura Prepon is the host of “Hollywood Hold’em” on the E! Network. She is also a frequent player at big Hollywood home games and the Bicycle casino in LA.


Prepon's enthusiasm for poker led to her role as an executive producer of E! Hollywood Hold'em. She also hosted the program's first game.





Laura Prepon participate in the first Annual Head to Hollywood Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament and Auction at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino June 3, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada.



The charity, founded by actress Carmen Electra and Us Weekly editor Ken Baker, provides brain tumor survivors and their families a VIP celebrity experience in Hollywood, California.





LAURA PREPON TALKS ABOUT POKER


Poker Night?

Well, I created the show. It's awesome. Basically, I play a ton of poker. We have a home game at my house almost every night. I watch a ton of poker. I watched Celebrity Showdown. I watched World Poker Tour, and those shows are rad. I love them. But I always wished they would show what really happens in a home game – the trash talking, the fighting and the laughing and everything that goes on.



I always wished I could see that, so I created it myself and here we are. So we go into a celebrity's house with him and his friends and they play for $10,000.

Winner takes all. It's not for charity. It's good because you get to see the regular Joe, so to speak. Most celebs don't need the money as much as their friends do. I have friends who come to my house and gamble their tip money to make their rent. One of them slept at my house for about two weeks. But, you know, whatever. It's all in good fun.





Who else is playing?

There's a bunch of people. I'm hosting a game. Macaulay Culkin, Mila Kunis and Seth Green are doing a game. We have Andy Dick hosting a game with Sara Rue. I want to get really cool, fun people because it's not just sitting around a table hibernating like bears and not talking. It's actually an amazing game. It's super fun and I just want to show that.



Do you beat all of them at poker?

Well, they named me the Red Dragon, so I guess that says something. You know, you can't name yourself in poker; your name has to evolve. I can definitely hold my own against them. I have taken their money many times.





So why are you the Red Dragon?

They say it's because I'm scary at the table. But it's only because I can hold my own and I can play.



Her interest in producing extends to her interest in poker. This female celebrity poker player also became an executive producer of the television game show "E! Hollywood Hold'em." And because this female celebrity poker player wanted more participation in the show, she was also given the chance to host the first game it has ever featured.


Prior to such involvement in the poker world, this female celebrity poker player has already been visiting casinos quite often. She is also a regular at the Bicycle Casino with Chris Masterson. Moreover, this female celebrity poker player has experienced playing at the World Series Of Poker in 2004.




Photo courtesy of http://www.celebritywonder.com | http://www.maxim.com

Interview courtesy of http://www.people.com | http://www.womenshealthmag.com




Source URL: http://hayleyatwellstuff.blogspot.com/search/label/casino%20poker
Visit hayley atwell for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Celebrity Poker Player: Mena Suvari

Hollywood celebrities love poker. Often they are enjoying the anonymity of the game, celebrities enjoy just being one of the regular poker players while at the table. Despite being entrenched by paparazzi on a daily basis, they will find a moment of brief moment of respite once they sit down at the felt.




In addition to playing poker because they love the thrill of competition, many celebrities have used poker as a way to raise money for numerous charities including the bad beat on cancer charity event and the star-studded Ante Up for Africa poker tournament that takes place during the World Series Of Poker.





Mena Suvari is smashing! She's the right blend of girlish charm and attitude and of course, has the smarts to be a great poker player.

Mena Suvari became much-publicized as the prickteaser cheerleader in American Beauty in 1999 that was working on a film with Nicholas Cage in New Orleans.





It was there that she started hanging out in casinos, learning first to play Texas Hold'em, then moving on the Seven Card Stud.





Mena Suvari is an avid fan of poker, Mena Suvari states that she tries to play as much as she can. She used her petite good looks to her best advantage, exploring herself to be an extremely knowledgeable and a fierce competitor. By the end of the game she ended up with the win, a $10,000 for the Starlight Children's Foundation.





Mena Suvari participated in the Tsunami Relief Poker Tournament, her poker playing skills were a little less than stellar, but as a person Mena was terrific. The only weird thing was that when she tried to chat with the other poker players they were either too starstruck or to in love with her to answer her.

Mena had also an appearance at the Celebrity Poker Showdown in 2005 were she played with Wanda Sykes, Rosario Dawson, and Jerome Bettis.




She also participated in the 7th Annual World Poker Tour Invitational last February 2009 were she played with Mekhi Phifer, Vince Vaughn, Paris Hilton, Jason Alexander, Ben Affleck, Don Cheadle, Mimi Rogers, Jon Favreau, Ricki Lake, Ray Romano, Camryn Manheim and Brad Garrett are just a few of the celebrities who have tried their hand against legendary pros like Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson and Jennifer Harman.




About Mena Suvari: Mena Suvari's big break into movies came when she appeared as Heather in the hugely popular "American Pie" movies alongside Shannon Elizabeth, Tara Reid and Seann William Scott. However, she is almost assuredly best known for her breakout performance in the Academy Award winning American Beauty, where she stunned the world.




She was seen in the Oscar Award winning film American Beauty, co-starring with Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress by the British Academy Awards, for her critically acclaimed performance.



Everyone knows that Mena Suvari an impressive celebrity poker player, but do you think you have what it takes to beat this hot chick poker star?




Source URL: http://hayleyatwellstuff.blogspot.com/search/label/casino%20poker
Visit hayley atwell for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection