PokerWorks

The list was inspired by the WPT Celebrity Invitational that took place in February and March at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. Amidst the L.A. Poker Classic tournament series, the World Poker Tour held its Invitational tournament on February 20 and 21, with the final table playing out on March 3. And it was at that Invitational event, complete with red carpet festivities, that celebrities from television and film made their way to the card room for a poker tournament that garnered attention from much of the mainstream and celebrity-focused media.

Maxim took note of many of the celebrities in attendance as well as others who are known to play poker at charity tournaments and possibly home games. And the publication took the opportunity to compile a list of “20 Poker Hotties” consisting of the “hottest hold’em players on the planet.” There was no article to accompany the photos, only a short paragraph noting, “You can bet each of these ladies up the ante and show their poker face each time they see one another.”

Several of the women on the list are very well-known in the poker industry but have had some success in varying degrees in film and/or television. Vanessa Rousso and Tiffany Michelle are the two on the list who consider themselves professional poker players, but Jennifer Tilly and Shannon Elizabeth have more than put in enough hours at the poker tables to be considered skilled players.

Pamela Anderson is not a surprise for the list, as she briefly forayed into the poker world with an online poker site bearing her name. And Joanna Krupa has recently been linked to the PokerStars.net North American Poker Tour as its on-camera host. Laura Prepon and Mena Suvari often attend the WPT Invitational, and Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jenny McCarthy turned out for the 2010 event.

As for the rest, it is unclear as to how the names were associated with poker. Nevertheless, the remainder of the list includes Cameron Diaz, Heather Graham, Jenna Fischer, Jennie Garth, Lacey Chabert, Odette Yustman, Rosario Dawson, Sarah Silverman, Serinda Swan, and Traci Bingham.