The 2018 critically acclaimed film is the real-life account of Molly Bloom, a former skier who oversaw the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game for ten years before being apprehended by armed FBI agents in the middle of the night. Her clients included members of Hollywood’s elite, athletes, corporate titans, and the Russian mob. The Oscar-nominated film starred Jessica Chastain, Idris Alba, and Kevin Costner. Any enthusiast of high-stakes poker will be intrigued by the real-life events that inspired the movie Molly’s Game. Molly Bloom was notorious for operating high-stakes poker games in Hollywood. She was referred to as the “Poker Princess” in a profile in The New York Times.
Molly’s Story
Born in Colorado in 1978, Molly was an exceptional skier. Unfortunately, her hopes of being a professional skier were destroyed when she was involved in an accident while trying to qualify for the Olympics. After that, Molly gave up skiing entirely and pursued a degree in political science at Colorado State University. Following her graduation in 2003, she moved to Los Angeles and began working as a waitress. She eventually became an assistant to Darin Feinstein, owner of the legendary Viper Room nightclub. Serving refreshments at prestigious poker tournaments and collecting massive sums of money were among Molly’s duties. Gambling at the Viper Room quickly became one of the most popular pleasures among the Los Angeles elite because only celebrities and billionaires were invited. Molly started taking on extra duties and was responsible for hosting twice-weekly poker sessions, earning the majority of her income from tips.
By 2007, Molly had hosted numerous Viper Room events and brought in hundreds of new members. However, her relationship with her boss, Feinstein, deteriorated and become toxic and he ended up firing her. Molly made the decision to launch her own poker tournaments after years of running the game and having a large network of contacts. She hired staff to help her, rented a penthouse at a hotel, and used high-tech casino dealing equipment. Due to a decline in underground poker in 2008 as a result of the global financial crisis, Bloom made the decision to relocate her company to New York.
Molly relocated her poker business from Los Angeles to Manhattan, New York, where she had fewer relationships. Her clientele had changed from the rich and famous to Wall Street executives and gamblers with far lower reputations who were making much smaller bets than those in Los Angeles. Molly was compelled to move her operation to Long Island as a result of frequent raids on illegal poker games. For failing to pay the required taxes on her New York engagements, Bloom was issued a $116,133 tax lien in 2010. In 2013, Molly was arrested for taking in underground poker games in a Ponzi scheme investigation. In 2014, Molly pleaded guilty in return for a lesser charge than the ten years she was facing in prison. She was penalized with one-year probation and a $1000 fine, leaving her bankrupt.
What Has Become Of Molly?
Not one to give up, Molly published her first book, Molly’s Game, in 2014. The book detailed her stories of the world of underground poker with celebrities and business giants. Molly became a celebrity in her own right, becoming a keynote speaker and appearing on multiple shows, including The Ellen Show, and on media outlets like The Los Angeles Times. Molly is now revered as an inspirational life coach that helps entrepreneurs with advice and warnings. While she was thought to be out of the game, the host of one of the most exclusive high-stakes poker games turned heads worldwide when news broke out that she would be the host at the SBC Global Betting and iGaming (SBC) poker tournament in Barcelona. Now, poker fans are wondering if Molly is back in the game.
What Happened in Barcelona?
The SBC Summit Barcelona would see a €10,000 poker tournament, which Molly informally titled “Molly’s Barcelona Game”. The game hosted 20,00 industry professionals coveting Molly’s Barcelona Game Trophy and money for charity. Characteristic of her exclusivity, the game was invitation only and would see some of the leading business owners in the gambling industry. Other than hosting the game, Molly will also deliver a keynote speech in which she will talk about her most exclusive poker games that attracted some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including DiCaprio and Affleck, and how she lost it all in one night.
Conclusion
With a life full of ups and downs, Molly Bloom is not only an inspiration but a poker legend. Known for her exclusive poker games, fans are left wondering what her plans are for the future. While many thought Molly had left the poker world, her appearance at the SBC Summit proves otherwise. Whatever Molly has planned, we are all looking forward to it.
