King walked into PokerGO Studio on July 26, 2025, having watched a five-minute YouTube tutorial on poker rules. Hours later, the social media influencer with 1.9 million Instagram followers left with $20,000 after winning the Celebrity Poker Tour Invitational VII. His victory over ballroom dancer Alan Bersten and a field of 50 celebrities marked one of the most unlikely tournament wins in recent celebrity poker history. King told PokerNews after his win that he followed his intuition and whatever knowledge he picked up that day. The result speaks to both the unpredictable nature of celebrity poker events and the particular format these tournaments employ.

Tournament Winners and Prize Money

The Celebrity Poker Tour has become the primary venue for celebrity poker competition in 2025. CPT Invitational VII awarded $50,000 in total prizes, with King taking $20,000 for first place. Alan Bersten earned $10,000 for second, Damian Powers collected $5,000 for third, and rapper 24kGoldn received $4,000 for fourth place. UFC middleweight Paulo Costa finished fifth for $3,500, magician Pas Magic sixth for $3,000, NFL player John Johnson III seventh for $2,500, and former NFL quarterback Cardale Jones eighth for $2,000.

Josh Norman added to his poker reputation by winning CPT Invitational VIII on August 2, 2025, as reported by TightPoker. The NFL cornerback collected another $20,000 first prize. Earlier in the year, Vegas Matt (Matt Morrow) won CPT Invitational IV in March, defeating chess professional Qiyu Zhou, who finished second for $10,000, and model Rachel Cook who took third for $5,000. The CPT maintains consistent prize structures across events, with first place typically paying $20,000.

The Private Table Circuit

These televised tournaments represent only the visible portion of celebrity poker activity. Many actors and musicians participate in private cash games across Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where buy-ins start at $10,000 and can reach six figures. While the Celebrity Poker Tour caps prizes at $20,000, these underground sessions see pots that dwarf tournament winnings. Tobey Maguire’s participation in real money poker games alongside investment bankers and tech executives became public knowledge through court documents in 2011, revealing stakes that reached $100,000 per hand. Rick Salomon organized New York-based games attended by Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Nelly. Mark Wahlberg joined Nick Cassavetes in Los Angeles home games featuring Gabe Kaplan and occasional New York Yankees players like Alex Rodriguez. Tom Brady appeared in a 2020 private tournament with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Adam Sandler, and Jon Hamm. Adam Levine and Jason Bateman have been regulars in Beverly Hills cash games alongside Sarah Silverman and Cheryl Hines. These gatherings underscore their engagement in informal, multimillion-dollar poker environments.

The same pattern continues in 2025. Professional players report seeing recognizable faces at Aria and Bellagio’s high-limit rooms, though casinos protect client privacy. Athletes transition from CPT appearances to these cash tables after tournaments end. Former NBA player Paul Pierce mentioned on his podcast that several current players maintain regular seats at $500/$1,000 No Limit Hold’em tables in Las Vegas. These sessions lack cameras and sponsors but represent where serious celebrity poker occurs.

Athletes Dominate Recent Fields

Professional athletes comprise a substantial portion of celebrity poker participants. The July 2025 CPT event included UFC fighters Colby Covington, Tito Ortiz, and Paulo Costa, NFL players Eric Ebron, Andre Roberts, John Johnson III, and Cardale Jones, plus NBA champion Brandon Rush and former MLB star Jose Canseco. Previous CPT events in 2025 featured NBA players Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee, NFL players Marqise Lee and Patrick Peterson, and boxing champion Adrien Broner.

Athletes bring competitive instincts and risk assessment skills from their sports careers to the poker table. Josh Norman’s CPT VIII victory demonstrates this crossover potential. The consistent presence of current and former professional athletes at these events has established them as a core demographic for celebrity poker tournaments.

Social Media Stars Enter the Game

Internet personalities now compete alongside traditional celebrities at poker tables. King’s CPT VII victory exemplifies this trend. The field included streaming celebrity Bryce Hall, who also appeared in earlier 2025 CPT events. Tana Mongeau and Blac Chyna participated in previous installments. Vegas Matt, known for gambling content online, won CPT Invitational IV with 78 players competing.

These content creators bring built-in audiences to poker events. King’s Instagram followers witnessed his unlikely tournament victory through social media updates. The CPT streams action live on YouTube and posts highlights across social platforms, creating content that reaches millions of viewers who might not otherwise watch poker.

Sponsorship and Business Models

Fliff sponsored the July 2025 CPT Invitational VII, as confirmed by their official website. These sponsorships cover player buy-ins and fund prize pools, allowing celebrities to compete without personal financial risk. The arrangement benefits sponsors through brand exposure to celebrity followings and live streaming audiences.

The CPT maintains partnerships with streaming platforms and sports betting companies, creating revenue streams beyond traditional tournament entry fees. This business model has sustained regular celebrity tournaments throughout 2025, with multiple events drawing fields of 50 to 78 players.

Professional Poker’s Separate World

Several celebrities have achieved significant success in professional poker tournaments, demonstrating skill beyond their entertainment careers. Ben Affleck won the 2004 California State Poker Championship, earning $356,400. Jennifer Tilly secured a World Series of Poker bracelet in the 2005 Ladies’ Event for $158,335. Tobey Maguire recorded multiple WSOP cashes, including a 13th-place finish in the 2005 $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em event, netting $27,900. Matt Damon placed fourth in the 1998 WSOP Europe Main Event. Rapper. Shannon Elizabeth finished second in the 2007 WSOP Ladies Championship, winning $71,442. Jason Alexander earned more than $50,000 through various WSOP cashes in the early 2000s. These accomplishments highlight their proficiency in competitive poker settings.

Celebrity poker in 2025 exists in two distinct arenas: public tournaments with fixed prizes and media coverage, and private cash games with substantially larger stakes. The Celebrity Poker Tour has standardized the public side with regular events, consistent prize structures, and streaming distribution. King’s tutorial-to-triumph story at CPT VII captures the accessible nature of these tournaments. Meanwhile, the private games continue operating outside public view, where entertainment figures test their skills for amounts that make tournament prizes look modest. Both formats serve their purposes, giving celebrities venues to play poker at stakes appropriate to their bankrolls and skill levels.