Kevin Hart Aims to Make Poker Cool and Fun

(Photo: Pokerstars.com)

Poker is oftentimes a serious game, with large sums of money won and lost at the turn of a card.

It's also a fun game, with a good percentage of that fun coming when you leave the table a winner. Some of the fun can also be had by joking around with fellow tablemates.

It is the joking around part that comedian and actor Kevin Hart happens to excel at and he's been spreading laughter at the tables of the PokerStars Championship in Monte Carlo. The funnyman plunked down €100,000 to enter the Super High Roller, making it to Day 2 before the curtains closed on his quest for a championship.

(Photo: Pokerstars.com)

Hart to Hart

He may not have finished in the money in the tournament, but Hart's love for poker lives on and it has prompted him to take action. That action is bringing his style and brand of humor to the game, thereby making poker enjoyable for all.

"I am going to make poker fun," Hart stated at a press conference while seated alongside Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu. "I've seen what the game is missing, and it's missing me."

Who knew that poker needed a comedian to liven things up? Most players - if they were asked what poker was lacking - would probably say that the game needs more women players or less rake taken by the house.

But after thinking about it, perhaps a colorful character of Hart's caliber would be good for the game. Of course, poker already has a number of colorful characters, but have Mike Matusow or Phil Hellmuth said anything funny lately?

Big Bully

Hart didn't fully reveal how he intends to make poker fun, but he has apparently hitched his wagon to PokerStars, so whatever the 37-year-old has planned will involve the online poker giant.

"I have bullied myself into a partnership with PokerStars," Hart stated. "Why? Because I love the game. I love to live, love and laugh and I'm going to bring this energy to the game of poker."

That energy and laughter was evident to anyone seated at Hart's table, or in the general vicinity, for that matter. Those who couldn't make it to Monte Carlo can get a taste of Hart's energy and love for the game by watching the accompanying videos, compliments of PokerStars Blog.

PokerFunStars

And what does the normally staid and stiff PokerStars' brass think of Hart and his shenanigans?

"We take poker seriously, because that's our business," said Amaya's VP of Corporate Communications Eric Hollreiser. "Kevin Hart makes everything he does fun because that's his business. We're thrilled to work with him to take poker to new audiences around the world and have a great time doing it."

What's Hart's next move then to make poker fun? Nobody knows for sure. He did mention that Daniel Negreanu could use a "black sidekick" in the same vein as Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy in "48 Hrs."

Does Daniel want such a sidekick? Don't know. But KidPoker did say that "just his (Hart's) presence in poker gives the game a new vibe."