Celebrity Poker Player: Sarah Silverman

Female celebrity poker players are not a new phenomenon; Let's face it, over the recent years poker has become a phenomenon driving people crazy all over the world.



Many poker enthusiasts would tell you that poker is not just a game of luck, but a real sport requiring its followers to develop certain intellectual skills and capacities.

Funny, irreverent, fearless, hardcore: all were used at one time or another to describe actress and bawdy comedienne Sarah Silverman and her unremitting style of humor.

Silverman's first career break was as a writer on Saturday Night Live during the 1993-94 season, but none of her satirical sketches were aired. She later had a featured role in HBO's comedy show "Mr. Show with Bob and David", and a guest appearance in a two-part episode of "Star Trek: Voyager". Appeared in several movies including "There's Something About Mary" with Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz and "The School of Rock" with Jack Black and Joan Cusack.

Sarah Silverman's career as a poker player started with her premier appearances on the popular Celebrity Poker Showdown, appearing on two shows. The first show she played against poker celebrity Shannon Elizabeth, and in her second appearance against Hollywood's celebrities Matthew Perry, and Christopher Meloni.

Her poker dexterity were good, her sense of humor at the table greater, but neither were able to carry her to the Final Table of either show.

Sarah Silverman has appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown - and she played quite well - though she lost both times. Sarah is an avid poker player, though: don't let the loss fool you. In fact, she's in a regular game with Paul Rudd, the guy that knocked her out of the Celebrity Poker Showdown game.

At the end of her run on Celebrity Poker Showdown, Sarah Silverman climbed at the top of the poker table and begged the dealer for a helping river. The dealer burned and turned the river into the small of her back. Shortly thereafter in the Loser’s Lounge interview:

Dave Foley said, “And there was a river flowing down the small of your back.”

Sarah Silverman quickly replied with “Yeah, if I only had a nickel…”

So, it is no wonder that a wide variety of Hollywood celebrities, world class super models and notable sportsmen alike, have gladly embraced poker as well. We believe that the game of poker is not only very exciting, but is also highly glamorous and challenging. And, celebrities are always attracted to glamor and challenge of poker!

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Celebrity Poker Moments at Celebrity Poker Showdown

Everyone knows that these famous poker reality TV show is a big smash where in each week, there are 5 celebrities competing for a No-Limit Texas Hold'em to win $250,000.

Whoever wins with every winners in the previous games donates the money to his chosen charity. As I watch some of the episodes, I've been watching them how the celebrities fold, raise, bluff, hand the cards too seriously and so much more!

Celebrities' Quirky Moments

When the comedians appeared on the show, it's like that you are watching a comedy show and not a poker show with hours of laughing and teasing on each players. Usually when their cards runs out, they usually take a quick exit to the Loser's Lounge!

Celebrities' Bluffing Moments

This is when The host of Celebrity Poker Showdown, Phil Gordon convinced the 5 celebrity players namely; Nicole Sullivan of 17 again and the MadTV writer, Willie Garson of CSI Miami and Sex and the city, David Cross of Arrested development, Paul Rudd of the TV series Friends and Richard Shiff of the West Wing. They are all agreed to go all in on the first hand no matter what. Only these 5 players at the table and the host were in on the joke.

During the game, when Nicole Sullivan re-raise, Willie Garson raises, David Cross calls, Paul Rudd calls and Richard Shiff also calls. Each of the tables calls all in! The audience are stunned and the productions don't know what to do. All the actions in the shows are paused, the producer wants to start the show again. After about 5 minutes of bluffing them on, the 5 celebrities stand up and shouted, “Gotcha!” at the producers. It took almost an hour to sort it out and telling to the legal department that everyone was just joking.

Best Celebrity Poker Player Moments

Some of the celebrities who appeared in the show are competed and won at World Poker Tour, Online Poker and even at home games. The celebrity best poker players are Ben Affleck, Paul Rudd, Seth Meyers, Sara Rue, Mena Suvari and Mimi Rogers.

Worst Celebrity Poker Player Moments

Yep! There's still a worst celebrity poker player at the the table and it's Scott Stapp of the band Creed.

Improving Celebrity Poker Player

There are many celebrities appeared first and went home with nothing, and when they returned, they've learned and strengthen their poker ability, and the person who is improving his poker ability is Matthew Perry of the TV series Friends.

Celebrities' Horrifying Moments

The show is so entertaining, until celebrity poker showdown's guest is Dennis Rodman a basket ball superstar made a championship into the final table.

Dennis Rodman and his opponent Mekhi Phifer of the TV series ER checked both the river and Mekhi showed a pair while Dennis Rodman hurled his cards face down.




The dealer jiggled the cards and started dealing the next hand. Dennis Rodman went hot under the collar and said to the dealer that he is trying to turn the cards up.

Alarmed, the director explained to Dennis Rodman that the dealer did the right thing and he folded his cards face down. Dennis Rodman got up from the table, lash out the microphone.

However, the production crews whose watching the players cards said that Dennis Rodman doesn't have a pair.
The director convinced Dennis Rodman and decided to resumed the play gain. Just a few minutes Dennis Rodman busted out , lose, and came to the Loser's Lounge.



Whether if we watch our favorite celebrity won, lose, went ballistic, laugh at their bluffs, the good thing is that with the help of Celebrity Poker Showdown they give more than a hundred charities and they maintain the fairness of the game and the popularity of a skilled game-poker.

Celebrity Poker Showdown: The Celebritie's Poker Obsession

How many times have you found yourself at the movies or sitting in front of your television just to watch your favorite celebrities in action? How about watching your favorite celebrities in front of your television playing poker?

Yes! In fact, The celebrity poker tournament has achieved in popularity! Big name celebrities are also playing poker. And even Hollywood could not resist the influence as more and more stars are going to the poker tables.

Definitely, celebrity interest in the game of poker has encouraged public interest in the game of poker. And because poker is so popular, and many people like to watch their favorite celebrities compete on the popular television show, Celebrity Poker Showdown.



Celebrity Poker Showdown is a series of tournaments that match against 5 celebrities against each other when they play for their favorite charities. Airing its first show in December 2003 with Gordon and actor Kevin Pollak announcing a star packed table that included David Schwimmer of comedy series Friends, Ben Affleck, and Academy Award nominee Don Cheedle and actor Dave Foley.

The winners of each of the tournaments play one another in the season finale for the largest part of the prize pool of money used. The show is so popular in fact, that Bravo now averages more than one million viewers per episode. Bravo aired the series for five seasons and it was a very simple assumption.

On the brighter side, celebrities that have appeared on the prominent game show demonstrate the interest that not only average people have for celebrities and poker, but shows the fascination celebrities have with wagering their money for a better cause. It was very much like The World Series of Poker (WSOP), where people are eliminated through a series of rounds to get to the championship game.

The card game played was Texas Hold'em and the stakes went as high as a million dollars. The winner from each week's game will advance to the championship sixth game finale. Bravo viewers will have the inside track on the hands the different players hold through hidden cameras. They will also be able to hear commentary from the eliminated players, who will watch the rest of their respective matches from the “Loser's Lounge” through closed circuit television (CCTV).

The first 5 winners of the Celebrity Poker Showdown tournaments are Nicole Sullivan of "King of Queens", Maura Tierney cast of "ER", Seth Myers of "Saturday Night Live", Mekhi Phifer cast of "ER" and Brad Garrett cast of "Everybody Loves Raymond".

Some celebrity names that have appeared in Celebrity poker Showdown are Jason Alexander, Jennifer Tilly, Mena Suvari, Mimi Rogers, Dennis Quaid, Shannon Elizabeth, Kevin Nealon, and Lauren Graham. Together, they have driven a new public awareness of poker and helped to bring it from backroom poker tables out into the limelight.

Unfortunately, Celebrity Poker Showdown is no longer being aired on Bravo. There were eight tournaments held and Bravo elected not to have a 9th tournament. All told the tournaments traversed 5 seasons, which is not a bad run on today's television viewing list. But don't fret, there is still celebrity poker showdown, just wait for my other post for another Celebrity Poker Showdown update!



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