Although Tobey Maguire may not have starred in any blockbusters recently, we will always remember him as the original Spiderman and an equine sweetheart in Seabiscuit. That said, it turns out that Maguire may not be such an innocent boy-next-door type when he’s around the poker table. According to “poker princess” Molly Bloom of Vanity Fair, he is, in fact, renowned for being a shark with a decidedly bad attitude. That is to say, he’s predatory like professional poker player Bruno Kawauti but not quite as “cool, calm or calculated” as Kawauti told 888poker sharks have to be. Bloom has even referred to Maguire as Hannibal Lecter in the past as he was an incredibly bad loser at the events she hosted. Allegedly, he once even asked Bloom to climb on top of the poker table and bark like a seal in exchange for a $1,000 chip. No thanks, Toby.
Fortunately, it turns out that the Batman actor Ben Affleck is far more amicable while playing poker. Affleck is recognized throughout the entire celebrity world for his amazing poker skills and friendly nature, especially since he started attending the World Series in the late 2000s. Molly Bloom has often described Affleck as friendly and a joy to watch, as he is pretty much the opposite of Maguire. The Oscar-winning actor has even been known to let his $1 million appearance fee go to be able to attend tournaments, although he was unable to attend one particular event as they couldn’t land his helicopter on the cruise ship. We feel you, Ben, we have that problem all the time.
So, what could possibly make the thought of Ben Affleck playing poker any more lovely? The fact that his good buddy Matt Damon often joins him on the circuit, of course. In the video above, you can even watch the two Good Will Hunting co-stars as they play together at the World Series, both being very respectful and nice towards the game and fellow players. Damon’s personal love for poker began in 1998 when he started playing to prepare for his role in Rounders. In fact, it’s thought that the Jason Bourne actor spent a total of $25,000 playing in preparation. Sine then he’s taken part in a number of World Series as well as other tournaments, although he still regards it as a hobby more than anything.
These aren’t the only A-listers who enjoy poker, but we love the idea of them getting together to play home games every now and again. Plus, we can’t think of a better way for three hard-working dudes to unwind after some hard weeks on set.
