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Poker Player Profile: Jennifer Tilly
(May 15, 2006)
Until last June, Jennifer Tilly was most famous for her acting roles in big Hollywood films. That was until she became the first celebrity to win an event at the prestigious World Series of Poker Championship in Las Vegas. She beat a field of over 600 contestants to become the 2005 Ladies No Limit Texas Hold’em champion, walking away with a cool $168,625. She took an early lead in the chip count and never looked back.
Tilly, an Oscar-nominee for her role in Woody Allen’s Bullets over Broadway, started playing poker several years ago and gained a moderate amount of success playing first in celebrity tournaments. It was enough to secure her love for the game and dedicate huge amounts of time to playing in high-caliber competitions. Some people speculate it doesn’t hurt that she’s currently dating poker wiz Phil Laak, but judging by her performances in such psychological thrillers as Bound and The Bride of Chucky, one wonders whether it is Tilly who is giving out pointers.
One of the most surprising things about Jennifer is that she is 47 years old! She could easily pass for 35 according to this admirer. Lucky for all of us, the tiny-voiced actress has said she will continue to play in tournaments and appear in movies in the upcoming years. Her win garnered a lot media attention and brought even more exposure to an already ever-present craze.
Although considered by some to be a fluke win, Jennifer is not fazed. She acknowledges that, despite the victory, people will identify her first as an actress, then as Phil Laak’s girlfriend, and sadly perhaps never as a professional poker player. But her plucky spirit speaks for itself as she stated in an interview that she “won two thousand dollars more than him (Laak) and a gold bracelet. I’m not rubbing it in…but I think that that makes me a professional poker player, and I don’t care what the other poker players say”. Good for you, Jennifer!
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