Where to Join the Poker Crowd

The Hollywood Shuffle

The only thing better than meeting celebrities is taking their money -- and you can do it at the Commerce Casino, seven miles south of downtown Los Angeles and not far from Disneyland.

Celebrities love poker these days, with failed sitcom stars, B-list Hollywood actors and two-bit comedians popping up on television shows like Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown and the World Poker Tour's Hollywood Home Game. And when the stars look to throw some cards and chops around, they head to Commerce, or the Bicycle Casino, nicknamed "The Bike" and home to the Legends of Poker tournament, which is also in Los Angeles.

But the Commerce is the one that's been grabbing headlines lately. In June, Ben Affleck won Commerce Casino's California State Poker Championship, walking off with $356,000 in prize money, a seat at next April's World Poker Tour Championship and bragging rights for beating a 90-player field, which included a number of poker pros and other A-list names, like Spider-Man 2 star Tobey McGuire.

Such celebrity sightings are nothing new for Commerce, which has developed a reputation for catering to stars over the last 21 years by keeping the star-struck at bay and giving celebs special treatment.

"We value and protect their privacy," explained Nancy Friedman, spokesperson for the casino. "That's a very important practice for us. They feel comfortable coming down here to our casino to play just like any other person."

Commerce, the self-described "Poker Capital of the World" and new home to the World Poker Tour Poker Walk of Fame, offers more poker than anywhere else in the United States. Because of California's gaming regulations, you won't find any jangling slot machines at the Commerce, where its Babylonian-themed interior sports more than 200 tables, a wide variety of betting limits and at least 10 different poker variants, including harder-to-find games like Pineapple, Low-Ball and Mexican Poker.