It is somehow refreshing to see Hollywood get down and dirty with some good old fashioned gambling, and who has more money to throw around than celebrities? It's not just a man's game as there are quite a few female celebrities who like to take chances with their hard earned cash as well. The girls love the excitement as much as the boys but have managed to keep themselves out of trouble, unlike some of our favorite actors who are just now recovering from some high-profile gambling scandals.

The Girls Are Fearless

Jennifer Tilly - This unpredictable and lively actress is best known for her role as Tiffany, a homicidal doll in the "Child's Play" movie franchise. She has gone on hiatus from acting several times to pursue professional poker playing and won $158,335 in the 2005 World Series of Poker Ladies event. As of 2010 Tilly has earned approximately $660,000 playing professional poker and her quirky voice has earned her voiceover work on "Family Guy" "Hey Arnold" and "Monsters, Inc."

Mena Survari - Best known for her roles in "American Beauty" and "American Pie" Survari's talents first came to light on "Boy Meets World." She got the poker bug while filming a movie in Louisiana with Nicholas Cage and plays primarily for charities like the Starlight Children's Foundation.

Laura Pepron - This "That 70s Show" alumni is fresh off the first season of "Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea" and makes it known that she is a huge fan of Texas Hold'em. In fact, she was so obsessed with the game that when she isn't competing in tournaments or playing online, she is producing "Hollywood Hold'em" on E! Network.

The Boys Are Scandalous

Tobey Macguire and Gabe Kaplan - Don't let Tobey Macguire's perpetual adolescent looks fool you, because he is perfectly capable of getting into trouble along with his pal Gabe Kaplan from "Welcome Back Kotter." Both actors have settled out of court over winnings they received as a result of a ponzi scheme led by Hedge Fund Manager Brad Ruderman. Ruderman was convicted of wire fraud, investor adviser fraud, and failure to pay taxes and is serving ten years in a federal prison in Texas for using investor funds to support his gambling habit.

Kaplan and Macguire were among the 14 players out of 22 that Ruderman and the trustees at Ruderman Capital Partners sued to recoup some of the estimated $25 million Ruderman lost participating in alleged illegal high-stakes poker games at various hotels and private residences. So far, the trustees have only managed to regain $1.7 million from the ordeal.

While both Macguire and Kaplan insist that they knew nothing about Ruderman's crimes, both have decided to avoid anymore drama by settling out of court. Kaplan has agreed to pay back $26,900 of the $63,000 he was sued for and Macguire settled for over $80,000 late last year on the $311,000 he earned.

Alex Rodriguez - Perhaps Alex Rodriguez is a victim of "guilt by association" as he has brushed elbows with Macguire and Kaplan on occasion, which puts him up for scrutiny - again. He was warned about illegal gambling in 2005, and an incident that took place at Cody Leibel's home during an underground poker game that got out of hand, put him back in the spotlight. A losing participant was reluctant to honor his over $500,000 gambling debt and it got violent.

It is still disputed as to whether or not Rodriguez was present during that game. Matt Damon, Tobey Macguire, Ben Affleck, and Leonardo DiCaprio were also rumored to be participants in underground poker games.

There is no end to the lure of poker, especially when you are rich and famous. The list is long and growing both men and women actors, sports figures, and musicians have taken themselves to the most prestigious casinos and participated in world-class poker tournaments. 

Andrew Greene is a freelance writer and blogs for poker.org.uk a site he always recommends to those interested in playing poker online.