You might be one of the hundreds of thousands of online gamblers trawling the internet in search of the best online blackjack – if you are, you can find great advice here.
However, if you were a famous actor you wouldn’t have to bother yourself with such trivial things. Instead your email inbox and phone would be flooded with invites to prestigious blackjack tables, especially if you happened to be an avid gambler, like these Hollywood stars…
50 Cent
After rising through the rap ranks to become one of the most famous musicians on the planet, 50 Cent moved first into the world of business and then on to the big screen.
50 Cent (real name Curtis Jackson) has made a success of pretty much everything he has turned his hand to. As a rapper he sold over 30 million records worldwide, scooping a Grammy in the process.
Then, as an actor and director he achieved widespread critical acclaim for his acting and producing in the hit TV show Power.
In just one of his many business ventures, Jackson commissioned a game based on one of his favourite past times. “50 Cent’s Blackjack” which was produced for smartphone and tablet proved incredibly popular with his fans and fans of the game in general.
Speaking after the launch of the game, Jackson told an interview that his standard blackjack bet is $5,000 and that he limits himself to losses of $70,000 in a single sitting…
Paris Hilton
When you hear the words ‘Paris Hilton’ and ‘movie’ your mind might understandably jump back to an infamous homemade production that dominated newspaper headlines in the noughties.
However, the American socialite has actually appeared in legitimate Hollywood movies like the cult classic film Zoolander and the not so cult classic 2005 remake of the film House of Wax.
Unfortunately Paris Hilton’s acting career never really took off and she had to find employment through other means. Not that long ago Hilton was paid $100,000 to DJ at a prestigious event in Las Vegas.
Hours after finishing her set she went straight to the blackjack table to put her pay cheque to good use. Within a couple of hours the socialite-turned-actress-turned-DJ-turned-gambler was up by $50,000 – not bad for a night’s work!
Matt Damon
The Bourne franchise start, Matt Damon is perhaps one of the best known actors with a penchant for gambling. His love of casinos started when he was cast in the leading role for underground poker film Rounders.
To prepare Damon signed himself up for a series of top level poker games to try and understand the game. His dedication to method acting was admirable but unfortunately his skill level didn’t match his enthusiasm as he lost thousands of dollars.
Fortunately though Damon’s other gambling passion, blackjack, helped him to bankroll his exploration into the world of poker. He is a regular at many casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and together with his friend Ben Affleck, spends around $20,000 per hand.
One night at a Hard Rock Hotel and casino the duo raked in close to a million dollars in blackjack winnings before tipping the dealer $150,000 to show that they’re the ultimate good guys.
Jennifer Tilly
The 61-year-old actress made her name in the acting business in 1994 when she was nominated for an Academy Award for her role as Olive Neal in the Woody Allen film Bullets over Broadway.
After going on to star in a number of great movies and TV shows Tilly turned her attentions to gambling. Tilly’s partner Phil Laak is a professional poker player and she has obviously learned everything she can from him.
Tilly has featured in a series of high profile poker games and has a World Series of Poker Bracelet to her name. In addition to that she is also a regular on the televised blackjack scene and was selected for the Ultimate Blackjack Tour.
Her passion for gambling seems to have curtailed her acting output somewhat as she now tends to stick to voice work, notably voicing the character of Brenda Swanson in hit show Family Guy.
An Honourable Mention to…
This article is dedicated to those who have forged a living on the TV or cinema screen, but a special mention has to go to one notable celebrity blackjack player, Prince Harry. Whilst he has not starred in any major Hollywood movies, he has effectively been acting his entire life as he has attempted to live up to the unachievably high standards expected of a Prince.
The former Duke of Sussex has hit world headlines in recent months after stepping down from his royal duties, moving away from the media glare to Canada with his wife Meghan Markle.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time that Harry had found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. In 2005 when the Prince was just 20 he was snapped by paparazzi in full Nazi uniform on his way to a friend’s fancy dress party.
Shortly after that several stories and images emerged purporting to show Harry’s hedonistic lifestyle which supposedly revolved around heavy drinking, womanizing and gambling.
The former royal was once seen wagering eye-watering amounts of money on a blackjack table in the Wynn Casino, Las Vegas. Harry was subsequently castigated by the media for frittering away public money on a gambling table.
Since then he has distanced himself from mainstream gambling venues to avoid further criticism, although rumours abound that he is still fond of a private blackjack or poker game.