As industries go, the world of online gambling does not have the best of reputations. Considered by many countries as an evil that needs to eradicate, you often horror stories of players running into gambling problems. These problems include taking loans, second mortgages on their houses even that they are unable to pay. They try to fix these situations by borrowing even more money hoping to hit that elusive jackpot that will change their fortunes forever.
However, I am here to tell you that it does not always have to be this way. If you set aside a fixed spend target and gamble responsibly then it can be quite an enjoyable exercise which when done right can even allow you to make money off it. Many celebrities from across the world have been drawn to gambling as well and, in this article, I will list down the top four comedians that who go from being very funny on stage to being downright scary when sitting on the poker table. Just be careful to not underestimate these funny men should you run into them in a land-based casino. You might even be able to find them in an online casino should you have time to check out sites such as CricketBettingWali.in.
Without further ado, let’s start our list with our first comedian.
1. Jason Alexandar
In case you have been living under a rock or were born after the 90’s, there was a phenomenon that swept the entire globe that went by the name of Seinfeld. It was unlike any other sitcom that focussed mostly on a group of friends doing mundane tasks. However, as the tasks were in the grasp of any ordinary man or woman, the show became an instant success and lasted for a decade. It made household names of the actors that starred in it and Jason Alexandar was one of those names. Jason played the role of George Costanza who has since then taken a deep dive into the world of professional poker being considered by professional players as a formidable opponent.
To prove his skills, Jason Alexandar has taken part in celebrity poker tournaments including Celebrity Poker Showdown. In his most recent appearance, he won the final table of the eighth season netting a very cool half a million dollars that were donated to a charity of his choice. Till date, the former actor has amassed live poker earnings of $30,000 which is not bad in our books considering that is not his main profession.
2. Ray Romano
While not being able to scale up to the massive heights of Seinfeld, ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ was another hit TV show of the 90’s that focussed on a sports writer and his family. The main star of the show was Ray Romano who rose to fame because of his dead pan delivery and hilarious interactions with other cast members. Romano is considered as a successful actor who has transitioned into multiple mediums including providing the voice of the woolly mammoth ‘ Manny’ in the Ice Age animation series.
Ramano also enjoys spending time on the poker tables and has amassed a total of $20,000 in earnings. His most successful appearance at the poker table saw him finish eight in a $5,000 Ante Up For Africa Charity Event at the 2008 World Series of Poker.
3. Kevin Hart
The man of the moment, Kevin Hart could not be a better place in his life professionally. After spending years grinding out at the comedy circuit, Hart has finally transitioned into a super star filling out football stadiums when doing his comedy specials. He has earned the respect of peers such as Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle. Podcast host, Joe Rogan admires his work ethic and tenacity and the ability to deal with the many challenges that have been thrown his way.
Hart has used that tenacity to power his way into the Hollywood elite and is now part of successful movie franchise such as Jumanji that have amassed more than a billion dollars in the global box office. Recently Hart has now set his minds on conquering the world of poker and has taken part in numerous tournaments including Dan Bilzerian home game as well as High Rollers on the world circuit.
It was in Monte Carlo that saw him take part in one of the most outrageous hands of poker ever scene. In cash game television show at the Poker PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo event where Hart bested the likes of Negreanu, Faraz Jaka, Liv Boeree, Charlie Carrel, and qualifier Mila Monroe and cemented his place as a bonafide poker player.
4. Ken Cheng
Ken Cheng rose to fame by winning the funniest joke award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This was no small feat as he was pitted against comedy heavyweights including Alexei Sayle, Ed Byrne and Frankie Boyle. The joke he used to drum up laughter was him not being found of the new pound coin as he hated all change. Cheng referred to a British Born Chinese (BBC) developed an interest in poker at an early age often neglecting his studies and concentrating more on winning poker hands online. Cheng was so driven in his pursuit to become a good poker player that he dropped out of the prestigious Cambridge University where was doing a degree in mathematics to pursue a career as a professional poker player.
This naturally led to some very uncomfortable arguments with his mother but ultimately Cheng decided to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional poker. Cheng has been fairly candid about winnings and mentioned in his comedy routine that he has had days where he has either won or lost close to $100,000.
As you can tell that while some might consider playing poker waste of time, it has proven to be lucrative for the comedians on this list. As is the case with any forms of gambling, you must gamble responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose.
