Jennifer Tilly: Actress and Poker Diva
August 18, 2016 4:27 pmJennifer Tilly is an Academy Award nominated actress who has starred in 79 movies, and currently provides the voice-over for Bonnie Swanson in the popular animated TV series Family Guy. In the meantime, the 57-year-old actress also continues to pursue a career in one of her favorite past-times, poker, and while she may not compete at that many tournaments these days, the one’s where she does she always makes her presence felt.
Furthermore, the bubbly star is not shy about showing off two of her biggest attributes, and when questioned about the low-cut tops she is famous for wearing at poker tournaments, she replied:
“If people are really playing poker, they don’t care. Nothing looks better to them than a pair of aces. They’re not looking at your pair. They’re looking at their pair.”
Nevertheless, Tilly says she is not opposed to making herself look “nice” in order to gain an advantage over the traditionally male dominated tournament fields, and without a doubt she is now one of the most recognizable and glamorous players in the game. Tilley has also amassed an impressive $918,598 in winning over a career dating back to 2005, which incidentally was the year she won the WSOP $1k Ladies Only Event for $158,335.
Barring a short break from poker between December 2008 and January 2010, Tilley has continued her love affair with the game over the years, and even met Phil Laak, her partner of 12 years, while competing at the tables.
While her relationship with Laak has blossomed over that time, Tilley says she recognizes the difficulty associated with succeeding as a poker pro, although she also admits that she is in the enviable position of not having to work if she doesn’t want to. As she explained during her break from the game:
“I love poker but greatness in poker is an elusive dream. There are too many variants. Trying to find validation in poker is like trying to find a virgin in a whorehouse. I’m not giving up poker entirely – gambling is an addiction after all. I’m just going to treat it more like a hobby and less like a career.”