7 Celebrity Blackjack Fans: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Blackjack has become an increasingly popular card sport, so when celebrities get tired of playing with all their fancy toys, they like to wind down by playing some good ol’ 21.
What happens when one has everything; money, fame, status and admiration? Does it make people complacent and comfortable with their fulfilled lives?
Perhaps ordinary hard-working folks would adopt that kind of leisure lifestyle, given the opportunity. However, history shows that sometimes celebrities are a completely different breed of people.
Lavish casinos and fancy hotels, tropical vacations and pricy toys become a norm of life when one attains the status of a global celebrity.
• Don Johnson – $15 million (biggest winner)
• Ben Affleck – $800,000
• Charles Barkley – $700,000
• Prince Harry – amateur at the game
Maybe because they are so accustomed to the excitement that is ever present in their lives, it makes them strive for a certain vigor that only blackjack can fulfill.
Papa Diddy Pop – Sean “Diddy” Combs
Diddy, Puff Daddy, P. Daddy, Papa Diddy or whatever other name he goes by, is known as true enjoyer of life.
Spending millions just to celebrate a birthday, or renting a $400,000 a week yacht to cruise the Mediterranean for him and his friends, is all just another day in the life of Puffy.
Gambling for him is equally lavish, but unlike some celebs who like to blackjack once in a while, he seems somewhat more devoted to the game.
It is believed that he once requested a blackjack table at his dressing room at one of the MTV Music Awards, so that he could practice some blackjack strategies with his close friends.
America’s “favorite” heiress – Paris Hilton
When she’s not fervently participating in champagne fights in the South of France or partying in Ibiza, she can be spotted playing the tables in Las Vegas.
At times her casino table manners are somewhat unorthodox, but then again she likes to splurge big when playing, something that casinos rather enjoy, and as result might overlook the indecent behavior.
Two months ago, Paris added a meagre $50,000 to her “shameful” fortune which counts in millions.Blackjack was the name of the game.
After being paid $100,000 by an Atlantic City nightclub to perform as a DJ, she hit the local casinos in an attempt to raise some more money.
Luckily for her, it worked out, so if her new-found DJ career doesn’t work out for some reason, she will always have blackjack to fall back on.
British “Bad Boy” Royalty – Prince Harry
The history of blackjack and the nature of the game tells you that “21” is not generally associated with royalty. It is expected that royal dignitaries conduct themselves with the utmost respect, however that does not always apply to Prince Harry.
He was involved in a game of blackjack at the Wynn casino in“Sin City”, where he amassed a large crowd around him as he played his hands.
What is funny is that he seems to have fallen for the tricks that casinos employ to easily extract money from players. Prince Harry professed that he greatly enjoyed all of the free drinks that the casino gave him.
Afterwards, he was seen losing $300 during his short session of blackjack. Perhaps next time experience will teach him not to accept any of the drinks, as they are designed to cloud a player’s judgment.
Rapper turned businessman – 50 Cent
He really ought to call himself something other than “Cent.” Nowadays. Perhaps renaming himself to “Half a Billion” has a more realistic ring to it.
He has accumulated a vast fortune which initially stemmed from his singing career, but has since then heavily diversified his entire business.
Therefore, it is no surprise that in recent times 50 has set his sight on the gaming industry.Since being a blackjack enthusiast, he has also invested in the development of his own internet game titled “50 Cent’s Blackjack.”
Players can participate in the online blackjack game by downloading it as an app on Facebook.
However, Jay-Z is also another rapper that is competing with 50 in this growing industry, as he too has an internet blackjack game.
Nevertheless, 50 Cent once stated in an interview that when he plays real blackjack, he likes to place take out around $70,000 from his account and bet $5,000 hands.
And when the interviewee was astonished at the amount, Fiddy replied, “Because I want to win big!” Guess if his online venture goes bust, he will always have the real thing to make money from.
Miami Vice King – Don Johnson
Don Johnson is mostly remembered for his portrayal of undercover detective Sonny Crocket in 1980s hit TV show Miami Vice.
However, since then he hasn’t garnered as much media attention from other on-screen projects. Nevertheless, one should not pity him, as he has raked in quite a fortune through his gambling exploits, which primarily concerns his favorite game blackjack.
When it comes to the 21 game, Don is a certified winner. According to some reports, he has won over $15 million dollars at the Tropicana casino in Atlantic City.
He should be nominated to have his name in the Blackjack Hall of Fame, for his overly successful exploits in the game, considering he never won a major TV award for his acting.
MVP in NBA and blackjack – Charles Barkley
“Sir Charles” has an accomplished NBA career, which saw him win prestigious accolades, but also big bucks.
But that wasn’t enough, as retirement does not offer the same excitement as much as basketball does. As a result he found a hobby which entails playing blackjack.
Certain reports indicate that he’s an avid mobile casino player, but what is truly enjoys is the real life experience of sitting at a blackjack table.
However that real life experience once got him in hot waters with at the Wynn in LV, which accused him of not paying a $400,000 marker. Despite the claims, he once managed to make over $700,000 at blackjack in the famous gambling city.
High rolling Oscar-winning actor – Ben Affleck
He is often known to grace the screens with his solid acting and his charming ma. What some might not know is that Affleck is also an avid casino player.
In 2001, while relaxing from shooting films, he visited Las Vegas to gamble away some of his hard earned cash. At poker he was purported to have earned several tens of thousands.
However, his favorite card sport involved “21”, at which he was quite proficient. It seems as if winning at blackjack came naturally for Affleck, as he, with the company of his fellow actor and friend Matt Damon, managed to win $800,000 at the Hard Rock Hotel.
He split his cards into three $20,000 hands all at once, which is a modest investment considering that he won over 13 times as much.
After the win, he was rumored to have tipped the dealers and waiters in the amount of $150,000. It makes one wish to move to LV and get a waiting job.
When you’re a celebrity, it appears as if everything is handed to you on a silver platter. Even though they are making millions form their own respective careers and also making quite a buck on the side business, many times they just keep on getting more and more.
Blackjack is no exception for them. We, mortals, can conclude that once you become super rich and famous, you just keep on winning. As celebrities often times have almost unlimited accounts, it’s easy for them to play at tables. When they lose one hand, they just double the next.
But when you’re a common individual, you have to resort to your own luck and cannot depend on the stars in the sky to lead you.