Celebrity Jennifer Tilly Turning Heads

When it comes to celebrities that play poker, the undisputed Queen of the tables is Jennifer Tilly. She came out of nowhere last year, winning the Ladies WSOP bracelet and a Ladies WPT championship. Over the last year her impact has been as important to the growth of the game as any other player's. The sexy starlet is already 39th on the WSOP all-time women's money list, and she's improving every day.

Tilly was born Jennifer Chan in Canada in 1958. She first arrived on the Hollywood scene in 1983 with a role on a T.V. series called "Boone". Her career has spanned over three decades and includes over 80 acting credits. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her role as a struggling actress named Olive Neal in Woody Allen's "Bullets Over Broadway" in 1994. She's appeared on many No. 1 T.V. shows over the years including "Cheers", "Hill Street Blues", and "Frazier".

When Jennifer won her WSOP bracelet last year, initial talk was that she got lucky and played it like a fish. I'll admit that she did look like a novice on a couple of hands, but she played aggressive with a big stack. (No pun intended.) She plays fearless and gives off very few tells, although one would expect this ability of an actress. All the talk about her lack of poker skills quickly came to an end when she followed up her WSOP win with a WPT Ladies Championship three months later in Los Angeles. She was the first woman ever to achieve that feat over any span of time, let alone a couple of months.

Tilly's poker career began around the same time her romance with a young poker player named Phil Laak began. Phil is better known as the "Unabomber" and is a top pro with many big-money finishes and championships to his credit. He can be seem doing push ups and wearing a hood at the final table. His outrageous behavior makes him a crowd favorite where ever he goes. It's pretty obvious that the two spend a lot of time playing and working on their game together. They must be doing something right because since May of last year, they have combined for over $850,000.00 in tournament winnings. I don't recall the wife and I doing that well our first year together.

I was fortunate enough to bump into the two of them on an elevator in the Rio last year. Jennifer, or the "Unabombshell" as she's sometimes called, had recently won her bracelet and the two were rushing down to start a tournament. I asked them if they had time for a quick picture. Phil was reluctant because he had the tournament on his mind, and they were running late. He tried to decline my request, but Jennifer quickly said they had time, and held up her new bracelet for the picture. She knew the importance of the exposure and the fans, and was friendly to everyone that was interested in meeting her.

Her huge impact has made her an instant ratings draw, and now Jennifer enjoys invites to big exclusive tournaments like the Poker Superstars Invitational and lots of televised charity events. She's held her own against the biggest names in poker. She had a second-place finish in one heat of the tournament, and a first-place finish in another. We've been able to watch her game improve on television and it is obvious that she's a much better player than the careless girl who won the Ladies' bracelet last year. She was able to immerse herself into the poker scene, which sped up her playing experience and turned her into a quality player. It's doesn't hurt to have a professional coach by your side every step of the way either.

Poker is a game filled with interesting personalities and characters. This makes for entertaining viewing, but it's not exactly the best pool for role models. Don't get me wrong, poker has lots of heroes and good people, but very few ambassadors. Mike Sexton, Daniel Negreanu, and Doyle Brunson are some of poker's ambassadors, but most players have their own agendas and don't put a lot back into the game.

Jennifer and Phil show everyone that the game is fun. They entertain you as they play and show everyone that you can play world-class poker and still enjoy yourself while you're doing it. That's a good lesson for a lot of us.

It's only been a year since Tilly had her coming out party at the WSOP but she is getting lots of respect. She is getting 28-1 odds on her winning this year's WSOP main event. That's pretty good, considering only eight other women are getting smaller odds than her. That means she is considered to be one of the top 10 best female players in the world. She seems as though the mental aspect of the game comes naturally to her, and it's not like she's ever scared money. Her poker skills could keep her in front of the camera for many years to come.

I don't know how long Tilly's poker career is going to last. It doesn't seem like she's researching a movie role anymore; she's for real, and quickly becoming a feared player. Whether she's lucky or driven, I expect to see a lot her for some time to come. This game gets in your blood, and whether she keeps Mr. Laak around or not, I'm sure her love for the game will continue. She has the opportunity to rewrite the women's record books if she stays in the game and continues to study.

It's likely that Tilly will have the sophomore's drought that a lot of successful new players experience. It may be a long time before she wins another tournament, let alone another WSOP bracelet. At the same time I don't want to count this chick out; she's achieved a lot of things in her life, and she looks capable of more success. I hope her success continues because she's good for the game, and her attitude about all of it seems to be in right place.