We have a library of WOMENS POKER ARTICLES covering strategy, table selection, bluffing, betting and poker pro biographies to help you improve your game
If you're both a Hollywood and a poker fan, no doubt you may have heard of Jennifer Tilly, who starred and appeared in various Hollywood movies, and who became particularly recognized in movies such as "Bound" as well as the Jim Carrey flick "Liar Liar". But today, Jennifer is not just considered an actress, but also as major star player in world poker tournaments, thanks to her astounding championship wins that gained her two World Series titles in a single year.
Jennifer Tilly began immersing herself in playing poker through the usual process where celebrities and movie stars meet in the poker table - through the Celebrity Poker Showdown television program. After that episode, she also appeared in the next Hollywood Home Game episode as sponsored by the World Poker Tour, playing poker against other Hollywood stars. In that episode, Jennifer Tilly battled heads on with Ming Na, and unfortunately lost the game. But then she emerged from the crowd and entered the limelight when in 2005, during the World Series of Poker championships; Jennifer Tilly won the Ladies No-Limit Texas Hold'Em Event with more than a hundred fifty thousand dollars in her pocket plus a fabulous gold bracelet to uphold the title. That night, Jennifer Tilly became the first ever Hollywood celebrity and actress to win a poker championship such as this event. No other Hollywood personality has accomplished what Jennifer Tilly has in the poker table. It was also a big feat for Jennifer Tilly, who exclaimed that winning the event was even better than winning an Oscar.
People all over the world were aghast at Jennifer Tillys' luck in the poker table. Many wondered whether Jennifer Tillys' winning the World Series of Poker championship was a farce, considering she was a Hollywood celebrity who was thought of merely stumbling into the poker tournaments and was allowed to win in order to hype up the game. Majority believed that she was just another actress gearing up for that much wanted popularity by making the rounds of the poker tournaments, and that her game of poker was nothing but a charade or a sham of sorts. Imagine their surprse and shock when Jennifer Tilly, upon acting on a formal invitation to grace another Ladies Night event for the World Poker Tour, bested top rated poker players, among them professional tournament mainstays such as Aidiliy Elviro, Cecelia Mortensen, and Isabelle Mercier, all who were either previous recipients of the Ladies Night championship award or popularly known in the professional poker tables. With double titles to be proud of, Jennifer Tilly totally smashed her critics and humiliated her detractors by showing her undoubtedly amazing potential to traverse from a Hollywood career to that of a qualified poker player, if not an expert in the game already.
After displaying her capability to stay in the game and proving her disbelievers wrong, Jennifer Tilly gained the support of numerous personalities in the world of poker, including Phil Laak, better known as "The Unabomber", one of the most renowned poker players in the world. It was Phil Laak who helped teach Jennifer Tilly the various strategies and techniques in playing poker, and who trained her to become such a strong poker player as she is today. After winning the much coveted Ladies Texas Hold'Em Event championships, Jennifer Tilly and Phil Laak became even closer friends, a great friendship at that, which eventually led to a relationship, earning Jennifer the tag, "The Unabombshell" to complement Phils monicker. To this date Jennifer Tilly and Phil Laak have stayed as a couple and have competed in various poker tournaments across the globe. She has since shown her game at a poker showdown named Poker Royale, featuring Phil Laaks' team called "The Unabombers" against a group of also great players comprising what was called "The James Wood Gang". Jennifer was, of course, part of Phils' team.
Since her first win, Jennifer Tilly has proven herself a major contender in any poker tournament, gracing other tournaments and playing her way to the final set of players staying in the poker table. From starring in films, Jennifer Tilly has a new role to star in as a poker player. You're sure to catch Jennifer Tilly in the next World Series poker tournaments, so watch out for her.
JENNIFER TILLY