Jason Alexander Poker

PokerStars has signed “Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander to become its newest ambassador. He’ll join National Hockey League (NHL) legend Mats Sundin, Wimbledon tennis champion Boris Becker,. 'Innovative' WPT Partners with Budweiser Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander has won 'The King's Celebrity Poker Challenge' which premiered on ClubWPT last night. The event partnered with Budweiser to.

When previews of the World Series of Poker main event start cropping up on sites across the Web each July, they seem to focus on the twin monsters of cash and fame. 'Win the main event,' they'll tell you, 'and you'll be rich and famous.'

They sell the American dream.

It's easy to forget amid that hoopla that the main event is so much more. Sure, it offers the dream to those who still dream, but for others, it's something different. For those who have already achieved their respective dreams, the Big One is a chance at more modest aims. For more recreational players, the WSOP main event is what it always was: a community reunion. The coming together of people sharing a love for the game they play. On Tuesday night, ESPN's WSOP broadcast (8-10 p.m. ET) will focus on one of those cases.

Jason Alexander Poker Tournament

Jason Alexander has already appeared prominently on this season's episodes, with appearances in Ante Up For Africa and Day 1 of the main event. It was during the latter when he doubled up at the end of the day, getting his stack into the pot with one pair against a flopped flush, only to hit running cards for a full house.

'That hand turned out great,' Alexander gushed. 'Getting it in there was obviously a huge risk. The truth was I was supposed to be rehearsing for a one-man show I've been doing called 'The Donnie Clay Experience.' It started on July 17. The constant pressure of not preparing for that tour was always in my head. I guess in a fortunate way, it forced me to take more risks than I'm usually comfortable with.'

On Tuesday night, viewers will see more risks.

Alexander knows he'll never achieve the success in poker that he has as a comedian and actor. The 'Seinfeld' star, now a veteran of the main event, enters each year virtually without entertaining the possibility of victory.

Jason Alexander Celebrity Poker

'When I'm playing competitive poker, I don't go in with huge expectations,' chuckled Alexander. 'I go to have a great time. I'm endlessly enthralled by the game. I come in with an attitude of 'I'm going to enjoy myself' because it's a great social game. I love going to a casino and sitting down with 10 interesting people. Swapping stories. The community spirit. It's a great time.'

Alexander has been playing various forms of poker for over two decades, but seldom seriously. 'In Hollywood, everyone more or less gets introduced to it on a set, whether it's behind the scenes of a show or while waiting for the cameras to get rolling,' said Alexander in a phone interview. 'I got started in college and the first thing I learned was seven stud, then five-card stud and five-card draw. I never played with any skills.

'It started developing into a more serious interest when the celebrity shows started up. My handlers were also representing Phil Hellmuth at the time and offered me a tutorial. I said, 'I can't imagine what he could tell me,' because I thought you just got your cards and made your bets. I took the session with Phil, he began to open my eyes to what the pros are thinking and he scared the living bejeezus out of me. I said, 'I can't do that,' but every time I met another pro, I'd try to get a little more of a handle of the game, and it's taken off from there.'

Asked if he's glad Hellmuth and other pros have lifted the veil, Alexander said, 'The fact here are actually skills, tools and techniques to this game … to a newcomer, it seems like spinning a wheel and hoping it hits your number. To understand there's more to it now is exciting for me.'

Unlike so many other recreational players, Alexander isn't intimidated by the TV pros he's encountered repeatedly in his poker travels.

'I tell the pros, 'If my good time interferes with your making a living, let me know because I wouldn't want you heckling me at the theatre,' the affable comedian said. 'Phil Gordon and I had a conversation where I told him, 'If I lose to you, nothing lost. If you lose to me, you'll never hear the end of it.' Because of that, I don't get intimidated.'

Alexander has faced far more intimidating competition in Hollywood home games.

'I play in Ray Romano's home game,' said Alexander, who was bought into the main event by PokerStars. 'It's a lot of fun. It's about half celebrities. We play both tournaments and cash games. It's a nice night.'

On Day 1 of the 2009 main event, he shared a table with fellow Romano game alum Brad Garrett.

'It took away the tension of the WSOP and took it back to Brad's home game or Romano's home game,' said Alexander. 'It was very comforting. The problem was I was faring far better than Brad and you hate to be raking in chips when you see a friend sweating and sinking.'

While Romano and Garrett are peers, Alexander started on the Hollywood poker circuit when he was still on his way up in the business.

'I've played in a famous game hosted by [Hollywood agent] Norbie Walters,' Alexander recalled. 'It's a $1/$2 seven-stud game. It's always an eclectic mix of old and new Hollywood. The first time I played, I was sitting between Sid Caesar and Milton Berle.'

Of course, when Alexander sits now, he's the entertainment giant at the table. The George Costanza character that made him famous resonates in the eyes of his opponents.

'Regardless of whether they're to play me or George, they think we have more money than we actually do,' Alexander said with a laugh. 'George would be so clueless … he could have Q-6 offsuit and raise and not be bluffing. He might think 'I have a queen!' He's that stupid. He might be a good player … he'd be tough to read.'

As for Donnie Clay, his morally bankrupt motivational speaker?

'Donnie would be a big advocate of somehow nagging to be in the game and watch it on TV simultaneously to get a look at the hole card cams and take advantage,' Alexander said. 'Donnie would think seeing the cards would be very fortuitous.'

Jokes aside, Alexander understands that having his play broadcast to the world is serious business, but he's taking it in stride.

'I'm very used to people thinking of me as a genius and an idiot, so their seeing me play is irrelevant,' he said. 'The only downside is that you tend to show your colors as to how you play. The pros have far more skills to mix it up than I do.
People will see my patterns. It puts more pressure on me to be unpredictable. It's the same problem the pros have.'

He quickly added with a smile, 'So I now consider myself a PokerStars pro.'

It's another fun moment for a man having the time of his life at the biggest competition in the world.

Gary Wise is a poker columnist for ESPN.com.

Alexander played poker for United Way of the greater New Orleans area and won $500,000 for the charity.

Alexander is the national spokesman for the Scleroderma Foundation.

Charities & foundations supported11

Jason Alexander has supported the following charities listed on this site:

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Adam SandlerAnnie DukeBen AffleckBenji MaddenBoris BeckerBrad PittCharles BarkleyChristina MilianDon CheadleGeorge ClooneyGeorge LopezHoward LedererJason LewisJoel MaddenMatt Damon

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Causes supported15

Abuse, Adoption, Fostering, Orphans, Children, Disaster Relief, Economic/Business Support, Education, Health, Human Rights, Hunger, Lupus, Miscellaneous, Peace, Poverty, Rape/Sexual Abuse, Refugees

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Related charity news and events 47

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• Win a Chance to Play in the Invite-Only Celebrity Poker Tournament in West HollywoodNov 20, 2019

• More Stars Added To Ed Asner And Friends Poker TournamentAug 24, 2018

• Thomas Gibson, Richard Kind and Jim Beaver Join Ed Asner in Celebrity Poker TournamentAug 21, 2018

• Tom Arnold And Brad Garrett Join Ed Asner And Friends Poker Tournament Celebrity NightAug 8, 2018

• Jason Alexander, Don Cheadle, Lou Diamond Phillips Join Ed Asner for Celebrity Poker TournamentJul 30, 2018

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