Poker is one of the most popular games on the planet and a fixture at every casino, so it only makes sense that a few celebrities will partake in it. Celebrities also have more disposable income on average than most people, which makes poker even more fitting as a hobby.

While some celebrities can be seen occasionally at high-stakes tables around the world, some of them are advanced players who've participated in major tournaments. You even have celebs who are more known for their prowess on the poker table than their movie roles or music career. Let's take a look at a few celebrities who love poker.

Jason Alexander

We would never have guessed that the person who played “George” in Seinfeld would also be a force at the poker table when considering how bad of a liar his character was. But Jason Alexander is nothing like George when it comes to poker and is a highly respected player. Jason participated in multiple pro and charity tournaments and won the Celebrity Poker Showdown tournament once. He is so respected as a player that he was able to get a sponsorship from Pokerstars.net, which is one of the top online poker sites on the planet.

Jennifer Tilly

It’s been a while since we saw Jennifer Tilly in a blockbuster movie, but she is a fixture at poker tournaments around the world. She’s even more renowned than Jason Alexander and has made the final table at multiple major tournaments. She is said to have won over a million US dollars in live tournaments and is probably the only celebrity to have a WSOP bracelet.

Jennifer Tilly is known for using her acting skills around the table. She is a fearless bluffer and pulled off some of the most legendary bluffs in the game on some of the best players. By now, she is more of a poker player than a celebrity, and she even started a relationship with WSOP and WPT winner Phil Laak back in 2004, so we can safely assume that poker is her main love now.

Neymar Jr

Soccer players and sports players, in general, are well known for their love of casinos and gambling, and many of them have made noise at the poker tables. Neymar Jr is one of them. He and Ronaldo were both sponsored by poker rooms, but while Ronaldo was working more on the PR side, Neymar was grinding it out at tables representing the brand.

Neymar has made several appearances at major tournaments around the world. He never was able to get to the final table but was still able to make his presence felt. Neymar is also known for playing online and is rumored to be a big fan of online casino games as well.

If you’ve always been curious about online gaming and would like to give it a try, we suggest you check out this review of fast payout online casinos by OnlineCasinos.co.uk. It’s constantly updated with fresh information on fast withdrawal casinos, the latest bonuses, and special deals offered by online casinos. You’ll be able to tell which casinos allow you to withdraw your money the fastest, which ones have wagering requirements and some inside information on the casinos they review.

Gerard Pique

Gerard Pique is another footballer who's known for his skills at the poker table. He, like Neymar, has participated in many world-class tournaments. He qualified for the WSOP tournament and also played at the now-canceled European Poker Tour. The only difference between him and other footballers is that he is much more than a casual fan. He is just as good at poker as he is on the pitch, and we could see him embarking on a serious poker career once he is done with football.

Stephen Hendry

Stephen Hendry is one of the most well-known snooker players in the history of the sport. He was the youngest player to ever turn pro at 16, the youngest to win a major tournament, and he won more championships than anyone in the modern era.

The snooker prodigy is also said to be an absolute shark on poker tables. The Scot was spotted playing cash games in top casinos but also smaller ones around the country. If you haven't seen him at major tournaments yet, it's because he says that he prefers the fluidity and freedom cash games offer. He even said that they reminded him of the free-flow action of snooker.

He did appear at a few celebrity events, however. He, along with other players like Jimmy White and Steve Davis, was well known in celebrity poker circles, with White winning the Poker Million once. Out of the three, however, Stephen Hendry is the only one that's still truly active.

Michael Jordan

There are perhaps no more notorious celebrity poker players than Michael Jordan. Jordan has participated in some of the most interesting poker series and was known for playing both at high-end casinos and in private houses with other players.

He was said to be just as vicious and competitive playing poker as he was playing on the court. He was known for holding grudges and going to extremes too. There are even rumors of him playing poker for 36 hours straight.

His poker and casino gaming was becoming an issue for him and the league, however. At one point, he was so in the red with casinos in Las Vegas that they had to ban him. The issue was so bad that the league commissioner had to intervene.

Some people even theorize that it was the reason he suddenly announced his retirement after winning his first three consecutive titles. We don’t know if those stories are true, but all we will say is that the timing was pretty interesting.

Poker is a pastime that reaches everybody and these celebrities are some of its biggest advocates. Celebrities and poker seem to be a match made in heaven, and, who knows, maybe you’ll get the chance to bump shoulders with a few of them if you’re in the right rooms.