Her House of Cards: Molly Bloom, on Running a Private, Weekly Poker Game for Hollywood’s Elite


At only 26, Molly Bloom found herself organizing a private, weekly poker game for some of Hollywood’s top celebrities. In the course of an evening, millions of dollars crossed her tables, and it was her job to ensure everyone at her games was comfortable and happy.

And for good reason, too. On a successful night, she and her other coworkers could earn up to $50,000 in tips.

He picked up his backpack and followed me into the bedroom, opening the bag as soon as I shut the door. He knew what I wanted: he had $250,000 in cash and another $500,000 in Bellagio chips. As I had explained to him when we met earlier, I couldn’t extend him credit his first time at the game, so by bringing $750,000 he would be able to buy in 15 times that night.

Of course, big-name movie stars like to play poker too. And this article provides an interesting insight into how one goes about running such a game, keeping things discreet, and catering to the various egos and personalities at the table.

Part of me wonders if the game is something that’s still going on. In the article, Bloom recounts a moment where she “realized that it could end.” Perhaps it did. Or perhaps, having figured out a successful formula for running such games, she went on to do the natural next thing – and started hosting multiple games each week.

// Edit: Doing a quick scan from her memoir, it appears that her heady days of poker organization are over. Her story seems like it has a very interesting arc, but man… what a terrible book cover.

[via Longform]

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