Jennifer Tilly: First Hollywood Celeb to Win a Poker Title

She’s nicknamed ‘The Unabombshell’, lives in Harbor City and is certainly not the dumb-girl characters she essays in her screen roles. That’s Jennifer Tilly for you! Born in 1958, Tilly is a World Series of Poker (WSOP) champion and successful actress with cute roles in ‘Liar’ and ‘Seed of Chucky’ under her belt apart from several other films.

Tilly is the perfect example of why and which women should Play poker – even if it means sticking to the ‘Ladies’ Section’. Tilly won her first WSOP bracelet in the $1,000 No-Limit Texas Hold Em (Ladies) Tournament in 2005. She took home $158,625 ahead of 600 others. Soon, she was rocking on the Poker circuit also winning the Third World Poker Tour Invitational Tournament (Ladies) at the Bell Gardens’ Bicycle Casino.

Being a celebrity, Till has much to juggle. She is a constant on several networks and has featured in the Game Show Network Poker Royale Series, Poker Superstars Invitational-Third Season on Fox Sports News (FSN) and Celebrity Poker Showdown on Bravo in 2006.

Tilly never had things such as Free Online Poker on her mind as a youngster. Her father was a Chinese and her mother a Caucasian. When launching into her Hollywood career, Jennifer E. Chan renamed herself after her mother’s maiden name to Tilly. She grew up in Victoria, British Columbia where her mother, two sisters and brother stayed after her parents separated.

She was constantly winning writing competitions as a teenager and joined up the theater course at Stephens College, Missouri, before going to Los Angeles and setting up a 20-year-old acting career including a Woody Allen movie. Bullets over Broadway – the Allen film – in which she portrays an aspiring actress who has no talent got her nominated for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar in 1994.

Poker was in her destiny, it seemed. She was selected for ‘Let it Ride’ – a comedy based on gambling. The 1989 revolved around Poker and soon Tilly started learning the game. Once the movie was over, Tilly couldn’t give up the game and started playing at home.

Her first Poker tournament happened in 2003 with support from professional Poker player and boyfriend Phil ‘The Unabomber’ Laak. Tilly has always credited Laak for her success and skills. Tilly says she did train with Laak but also learned a lot about Poker through ‘osmosis’ picking up skills and strategies by watching Laak play. She had met Laak after a WPT Invitational Tournament at Commerce Casino. Tilly is surely the first Hollywood celebrity to win a Word Series of Poker event. She has always said she was most surprised at her victory than anyone else.

There were times when people questioned her skill attributing her wins only to luck but Tilly is made of sterner stuff. She went on to the World Poker Tour’s Annual Ladies Night ahead of Poker professionals Isabelle ‘No Mercy’ Mercier`, Cecelia Mortensen and Aidiliy Elviro. Tilly was initially married to writer/producer Sam Simon credited with ‘The Simpsons’ but is currently dating Laak.

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