Don Cheadle Leads The Celebrities Against The Pros

Poker personalities and celebrities play a relatively equal role in promoting the game on television and new to THE VAULT on PokerGO, the two entities are matched up on Poker After Dark.

The $20,000 winner-take-all Sit-n-Go pits “Celebrities and Mentors” against each other with three professionals and three from another part of fame at the table.

Each of the pros have a relationship with a celebrity at the table, making for an interesting table dynamic right from the beginning. For starters, Barry Greenstein and Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander are seated next to each other, further building on their teacher-student relationship.

Greenstein is well-regarded for his Poker Hall of Fame induction as well as his book Ace on the River, which has been a poker staple for decades. Obviously better known as his alter ego George Costanza, Alexander starred frequently on poker shows including multiple appearances on the World Series of Poker.

The other two professionals seated are Phil Gordon and an unorthodox but entertaining teacher in Gavin Smith. Like Greenstein, Gordon is a poker author and was featured as a commentator in Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown.

At any table where he is seated, Smith never fails to yuck it up for some laughs making him an interesting match for the stoic Orel Hershiser. One can imagine how their coaching sessions might go.

Hershiser’s pitching career has him on the borderline of making the Baseball Hall of Fame. His largest poker claim to fame is making it the quarterfinal rounds of the NBC National Heads-Up Championship in 2008.

The dynamic of relative fame is apparent early on in the broadcast as the Oscar nominated Cheadle asks “Are we supposed to chat it up or what?”

In nearly any other setting, Cheadle would be the one dominating the conversation but in the element of poker, he is trying to figure out the best way to adapt.

Gordon, Greenstein, and Smith are far from as intimidating as Phil Ivey, but from their time spent on television in the late-2000s, grew into their role as de facto celebrities in the poker world.

The mix is fascinating to watch and the poker is fun as well with six unique playing styles matching up on the Poker After Dark stage. If you’re new to PokerGO, try it now for free for seven days. Want to see more from Don Cheadle and other celebrities clashing on the felt? The Super High Roller Celebrity Shootout features Cheadle, Hank Azaria, Norm McDonald, Brad Garrett and Kevin Pollak, and you can watch it all on PokerGO.