Randall Emmett: Hollywood’s Latest High Stakes Poker Player

‘Loud, obnoxious and crazy’ might describe several high-stakes poker players we have seen at the tables over the years, but add in ‘splashy, loose and losing’ and it can be pretty much narrowed down to Hollywood’s latest addition to the poker world – Randall Emmett, the millionaire film and TV producer.

Emmett, who turned 47 last month (and has been in the headlines a lot recently, which we’ll get to shortly) is fast becoming a regular in the big televised games, much to the joy of his fellow players…

…some of the comments to this hand where he pays off Hellmuth’s full house certainly worthy of a mention…

“I've played with Randall before. He's just a terrible poker player. Some of the other players at this game knew he's the spot before they even sat down.”

“The best cash game player in the world, vs arguably the worst cash game player in the world lol”.

Emmett’s rise to fame and fortune began as an assistant to actor Mark Wahlberg, within a few years setting up his own company EFO films, and producing scores of movies including the re-make of ‘The Wicker Man’, ‘Alex Cross’ and this year’s ‘Gotti’.

It was his fling with ‘Vanderpump Rules’ star Lala Kent, however, which brought his name into the public eye…

…the married man featuring heavily in various entertainment exposes and his wife finally filing for divorce last year.

As his divorce was being finalised, Emmett sat down to play with the pro on ‘Holidays with Hellmuth’, a $10k buy-in SNG Poker After Dark special, which was won by Maria Ho, ‘Poker Brat’ Hellmuth finishing second – with Emmett actually outlasting the likes of Mike Matusow and Dan Shak to grab an unpaid 4th spot behind Antonio ‘The Magician’ Esfandiari.

Exclusive company indeed, for even the wealthiest of amateurs, but winning sessions have been few and far between for the latest Hollywood fish to swim in the deadly high-stakes world of professional poker sharks.

He did come close last August, however, getting heads-up with Liv Boeree in the $25k buy-in Poker After Dark ‘Voices Carry’ event, but the English rose denied him his first ‘poker glory’ moment and walked off with the $150,000 winner takes all payday.

As poker finds its way back into the mainstream, the Hollywood blockbuster Molly’s Game, along with the likes of Usain Bolt and Kevin Hart popularising the game, it’s no surprise that there are still millionaire amateurs still champing at the bit to sit down with the pros – whatever it costs them!