Jennifer Tilly Poker Player Biography
Written by
Joe - Poker PlayerLast updated:
December 29, 2023
Honestly, who can say that at the ripe age of 65 has managed to ace not one but two careers? This is something we can confidently claim about Jennifer Tilly. Her life is so rich in successful moments that it’s hard to pick one and say that this has been the most significant moment of her life so far. And more interestingly, Jennifer has never shown any sign of slowing down. She might have taken a few breaks from her poker career here and then, but she always comes back more vital than ever.
Who is Jennifer Tilly?
First and foremost, Jennifer Tilly is an American-Canadian actor and poker player. Her father was Chinese, and her mother was Canadian. After her parents divorced when she was 5 years old, Jeniffer, her sister Meg, and their mother moved to British Columbia, where her mother remarried.
Jeniffer takes after her mother in her artistic endeavors because her mother was also an actor in her youth. On the other hand, her father was a gambler and a poker player. So, it’s not hard to figure out where she got that passion from.
What do we know about Jennifer Tilly’s acting career?
Jeniffer started playing in the theater as a high school student and then moved on to study theater at college. However, she didn’t get her first big break until 1981, when she was invited to play as a recurring guest actor in the TV series Hill Street Blues, which ran from 1981 to 1987. She gained widespread recognition as an actor for the movie Bullets over Broadway (1994), for which she was nominated to receive an Academy Award. Her next significant role came in 1997 in the movie Liar Liar, along with Jim Carrie.
She started voice acting in the animated TV series The Family Guy in 1999, and she has kept the role of Bonnie Swanson in the series ever since. Jennifer Tilly has also starred in the horror movie franchise “Chucky” as the serial killer Tiffany Valentine. Jeniffer has been nominated twice for the MTV Movie Award for the movies The Seed of Chuck and Bound. But her list of awards and nominations does not end here. In fact, the list is longer than we can elaborate on in this article. She appeared as herself in a documentary called Poker Queens in 2020, and her most recent role is as herself in a docuseries (Television documentary) called Queen of Fear in 2022. It looks like the whole world is finally catching up to the queen Jeniffer Tilly really is.
When did Jennifer Tilly’s Poker career start?
Jeniffer has always had Poker in her blood from her father’s side. But after playing in the movie Let It Ride in 1989, she started thinking about having poker nights with her friends at home. First, her husband of that time, Sam Simon, taught her the fundamentals of the game. But after their divorce in 1991, her current boyfriend, Phil Laak, tutored her. He taught her the finer points of playing serious Poker and opened the door to the casinos. Jeniffer admits in an interview that Laak has taught her everything she knows. She said she was initially intimidated to enter a casino alone and had to be accompanied by Phil. Later on, of course, she got over the intimidation and started claiming the felt table as her own, one after another.
What are some of Jeniffer’s most important poker wins?
Jeniffer started playing professional Poker in 2003 when she participated in WPT Hollywood Home Game III and won second place. Her next, and more significant, win came two years later at her first attempt at the World Series of Poker in 2005. She won first place in the Ladies Only Event of the 36th WSOP in Las Vegas and added $158,335 to her total Poker winnings and a golden bracelet to her jewelry box. The same year, she won first place in the World Poker Tour Ladies Night with a 25,000-dollar prize. 2006 brought Jennifer another first place in the Poker Superstars event with a prize of $10,000. Another important win for Jeniffer Tilly happened in the same year when she won first place in the 2006 Legends of Poker, winning 25,000 dollars.
She continued her big and small wins in various Poker events and tournaments until she declared retirement from the world of professional Poker in 2008. She stepped aside from most significant Poker tables and focused on her acting career. But it looks like Jeniffer had not forgotten all about Poker because she made a return with a bang in 2010. She won the Bellagio Cup VI in Las Vegas and pocketed $124,455. She was nominated for Poker Listing’s Spirit of Poker Living Legend Award in 2014, again establishing herself at the top of her chosen career. Today, Jeniffer’s total earnings from live poker events have exceeded one million dollars, another milestone she proudly put behind her.
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What do we know about Jeniffer Tilly’s personal life?
Jennifer was married to Sam Simon, the writer and producer of the animated TV series The Simpsons, between 1984 and 1991. After their divorce, it’s rumored that Tilly keeps receiving 30% of Simon’s state. She didn’t remarry after that and has been in a long-term relationship with Philip Courtney Laak since 2004. Phil was born in 1972 and is of Irish descent. He is a successful poker player and commentator with one World Poker Tour and one World Series of Poker bracelet under his belt. Poker circles know Phil as the “Unabomber” because of the hoodie and sunglasses that he covers his face with at the poker table.
Jennifer Tilly’s presence on Poker TV
Poker After Dark
Poker After Dark is a TV poker series that has been airing since 2007. This TV series experienced a break following the Black Friday events from 2011 to 2017. But it went on air again and has been running ever since. This program consists of a series of mini-poker tournaments during which the players also cover the most interesting poker news of the week. Since its debut, Jennifer Tilly and Phil Laak have been recurring players in this TV show.
Poker Night in America
Poker Night in America is another TV series about Poker that has repeatedly invited Jeniffer Tilly as a player since it first aired in 2014. This show consists of poker cash games in various casinos across the United States. In 2023, the show’s producers decided to stop moving around the country and reside in a single studio in Las Vegas.
Celebrity Poker Showdown
Celebrity Poker Showdown ran between 2003 and 2006. This program included 5 poker celebrities playing for a charity each week. Jeniffer Tilly appeared in the show’s third episode and played four other gamblers.
Video Game
Although it’s not related to TV, Jennifer Tilly’s face and voice were also used in a video game: The World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions video game, the 2007 edition. This game was released in 2006 and played on several platforms, such as Windows, Xbox360, PlayStation 2, and Wii.
Jennifer Tilly’s net worth
Jeniffer Tilly has managed to accumulate considerable wealth during her professional acting and poker life. She has just managed to get her total winnings in live poker games over one million dollars. But other than that, she has had a prolific acting career and a considerable divorce settlement from her first husband (allegedly). Therefore, it’s unsurprising that her net worth is estimated to be over $25 million.
Jennifer Tilly’s life in a box
| Name | Jennifer Ellen Chan |
| Known as | Jeniffer Tilly |
| Born | September 16, 1958 |
| Age | 65 years |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California |
| Profession | Actor, poker player |
| First poker win | $5,000 in WPT Hollywood Home Game III |
| Biggest poker win | 36th World Series of Poker, Golden Bracelet and $158,335 |
| GPI rank | 73,692 |
| Total live poker winnings | $1,048,903 |
| Net worth | $25 million |
| Spouse | Sam Simon (1984 – 1991) |
| Partner | Phil Laak (2004 – present) |
| @jennifertilly with 923K followers | |
| @JenniferTilly with 258.1K followers | |
| Jennifer Tilly with 39K followers |
