Tournament Details

The WPT Hollywood Home Games are a series of exciting No Limit Texas Hold‘Em celebrity shootouts. Hitching a ride on the “Cadillac of Poker" in this third installment were: James Woods (Citizen Cohn, Salvador), Jennifer Tilly (Bound, Bullets Over Broadway), Robert Wuhl (Batman, Arli$$), Joshua Morrow (The Young and the Restless), Ming-Na (ER, Mulan), and Daniel Baldwin (Homicide: Life on the Street). With each of them playing for a share of $25,000 to be split amongst their favorite charities, as well as the chance to win a $25,000 seat at the WPT World Championship, the action was brisk from the start.

Josh Morrow and Robert Wuhl ran into trouble first, and unfortunately on the same hand. Wuhl, with Qd-Tc, called for 10,000, as did Ming-Na with Kh-6d, Baldwin with 5-4 offsuit, and Morrow on the button with Ks-7s. But Tilly had bigger designs than a family pot, and raised a strong 30,000 on her Ah-Th. Ming-Na folded, and Morrow, having leaked most of his chips already, went all-in for his remaining 58,000. With over 220,000 in the pot before the flop, Tilly called, as did Wuhl for three-way action. The flop came Qs-Qc-Js, bingo for Wuhl with a set of Q’s, but giving Tilly the inside straight draw. Tilly bet 20,000 into Wuhl, who quickly pushed all-in, 44,000. Pot-committed, Tilly called, and when they flipped up their hands, she was bummed to see Wuhl’s ladies, as was Morrow. But when the turn delivered a miracle Kd to make Tilly’s straight, it was Wuhl’s turn to frown. And after a 5h on the river, both he and Morrow were sent to the rail, Morrow in 6th place due to his smaller stack. Morrow took away $1,500 for his charity, The V Foundation (the cancer research organization named for North Carolina State’s beloved coach, Jim Valvano), while Wuhl went 5th, reaping $2,000 for The Oakwood School.

Woods did well to earn a few pots with rags, but after having gone without cards for most of the night, he got in trouble on a hand with Baldwin shortly after the price of poker went up: to 3,000 antes and blinds to 12,000 and 24,000. Woods, in the big blind, limped with 3c-2c, as did Baldwin, in the small blind with 6d-6h, and Tilly, on the button with Ah-4c. When the flop came 6-3-2 rainbow Woods was (as Mike Sexton put it for the TV audience) “heading for whitewater", his two pair up against Baldwin’s dominating (and disguised) set of 6’s. Tilly checked, Woods led out for 40,000, and Baldwin, warning his pal not to bet against the devil, raised it 70,000 more. Tilly got out of the way, and Woods called. After 7d on the turn improved neither, Woods checked. Baldwin put Woods all-in for 47,000, and Jimmy, not knowing he was drawing dead, called. A Jc on the river made it final – Woods finished in 4th place, taking $2,500 home to his charity, The American Stroke Association.

Down to three - the ladies and the devil - it wasn’t long before the next catastrophe. Ming-Na, playing with savvy and good instincts all night, found pocket 2’s in the small blind and raised, making it 80,000 to go. Baldwin, the big blind with As-4s, called. Flop came J-9-7 yardsale. Ming-Na checked. Baldwin checked. Turn came 6c. Ming-Na now bet 100,000, putting the test to Baldwin, who called. River came Tc. This time, Ming-Na checked, and Baldwin put her to the test, going all-in for 165,000. Ming-Na considered, and appeared to be leaning toward mucking the baby pair... until Baldwin began crooning an annoying little falsetto operatic aria. She gambled, and made a great call, with 5 overcards on the board. Just like that, the devil was done, Baldwin going out 3rd, bringing home $4,000 in loot for his charity, The Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Foundation, founded by his mother.

Down to the final two, it was Ming-Na, with a massive chip lead over Tilly - 1,139,000 to 361,000. With antes of 5,000, and blinds of 20,000 and 40,000, Ming pressed her advantage, and when Tilly called with Kd-6c, so did she, with 9d-2h, not expecting much. But when the flop came J-6-2 rainbow, giving her a little corner of it, she pressed some more, raising 100,000. Tilly, deciding to take a stand, went all-in over the top for 201,000. Bad luck. Ming-Na called, and the turn favored her with a third 2, giving Tilly only two outs. When the river came 4, Ming Na became the third Hollywood Home Game champion. Jennifer Tilly took home $5,000 for her charity, The Dream Foundation, and Ming Na won $10,000 for hers, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, as well as winning the coveted $25,000 seat at the WPT World Championship for herself. Not to mention becoming the 2nd woman to beat the boys, joining Mimi Rogers.