According to Molly Bloom, who was dubbed the “Poker Princess” for hosting high-stakes underground games that catered to celebrities, actor Tobey Maguire is terrible to have at your home poker game.
The New York Post reported that in an excerpt from her new book (“Molly’s Game”) published by Vanity Fair, Bloom said that Maguire once asked her to “bark like a seal who wants a fish” for a $1,000 chip. Maguire also was “the worst tipper,” despite consistently being the biggest winner, Bloom said.
Bloom added that the games ended because Maguire thought she was making too much money for facilitating the games. Bloom was earning as much as $50,000 a night for her hard work.
When Bloom refused to bark like a seal, Maguire replied, “I’m not kidding. What’s wrong? You’re too rich now? You won’t bark for a thousand dollars?” Bloom wrote.
It was said that Maguire became so demanding that he refused to play if the table wasn’t using a Shuffle Master device, which Maguire actually owned. Maguire, who is a millionaire, also asked for $200 a night in order for the table to use his machine, Bloom said.
“He couldn’t possibly be serious about charging rent for a machine he insisted that we use, from the guys whose money he was taking every week. But he was as serious as death,” Bloom said.
Maguire, who has three lifetime cashes at the World Series of Poker, has long been known as a extremely strong hold’em player. In 2011, Maguire agreed to settle in a lawsuit that was seeking to obtain $311,000 he had won from a Ponzi schemer who had lost investor money in the games.
Bloom recently received probation for her role in a high-stakes gambling operation that had links to the Russian mob. She admitted in Manhattan Federal Court to moving her poker games from Los Angeles to Manhattan in 2010 and running them out of two hotels.
Bloom had plans for the memoir as far back as 2012, well before she was indicted.
None of the celebrities who frequented Bloom-run poker games were accused of crimes.
