Nelly, Madison Beer, and Other Rappers and Pop Stars Who Play Poker

Poker is a inventive recreation, so it should not come as a shock that there are a number of celeb musicians who’ve excelled on the poker desk.

A few of these musicians play on the highway, whereas others, just like the DJ Steve Aoki, could be present in money video games in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

From 2000s hip-hop icons Nelly and Ray J to modern pop star Madison Beer, here’s a take a look at the rappers, pop singers and DJs who play poker.

Nelly

Rap star Nelly, greatest identified for his 2002 hit “Sizzling in Herre,” has been an avid poker participant since at the very least the late 2000s.

Nelly took half within the 2009 Ante Up for Africa charity initiative and, the identical yr, he performed on the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo cease.

Within the following years, he performed the PokerStars Caribbean Journey (PCA) within the Bahamas and the World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Major Occasion in Las Vegas.

Greater than a decade later, the “Grillz” rapper performed in a low-stakes money recreation within the Venetian Poker Room to rejoice the cardboard room’s grand opening.

Madison Beer

Madison Beer, who has over 23 million month-to-month Spotify listeners, would be the largest pop star to ever take curiosity within the recreation of pot-limit Omaha (PLO).

In 2025, influencer and WSOP Circuit ring winner Nick Austin, Beer’s boyfriend on the time, advised PokerNews that the younger pop star performs PLO money video games in Los Angeles.

In case you play at Hustler or the Commerce, do not be stunned if the “Reckless” singer check-raises you in a double board bomb pot.

Steve Aoki

Iconic DJ and document producer Steve Aoki is an longtime poker participant and former ambassador for the World Poker Tour (WPT).

In 2022, Aoki hosted a WPT-sanctioned house recreation inside his Las Vegas mansion, the place he sat down with PokerNews for an unique interview.

“Considered one of my very shut mates in 2004 was an avid poker participant,” mentioned Aoki, who has 14 million month-to-month Spotify listeners. “He was form of a DJ guru, and I seemed as much as him lots so far as steering. He was form of my huge brother, and he performed poker on a regular basis. So, he acquired me into the world.”

“We might DJ collectively after which after our units, we’d go to Commerce On line casino and play.”

Ray Jay

R&B legend Ray Jay is a proflific poker participant who performs in each poker tournaments and streamed high-stakes money video games.

When he is not taking part in on Hustler On line casino Stay, Ray Jay could be discovered taking part in on the Celeb Poker Tour or in main occasions just like the WPT World Championship.

The “Horny Can I” singer is married to fellow poker participant Princess Love, who spoke to PokerNews on the Life Outdoors Poker podcast about her relationship with Ray J.

Waka Flocka Flame

As Nelly was taking part in poker in Monte Carlo, a rap star from the following technology, Waka Flocka Flame, was cooking up his 2010 single “Laborious in da Paint.”

The lure pioneer took to poker late in his profession as he made an look in a 2025 Celeb Poker Tour (CPT) occasion in Las Vegas.

“I used to be comfy and nervous on the similar time, however now I’ve discovered that I might need a profession taking part in poker,” the rapper advised PokerNews in an interview. “I might need a very good profession taking part in poker.”

He added that he deliberate to review poker, saying, “I can undergo faculty and highschool. As soon as I graduate, I am kicking ass.”

Waka Flocka Flame ended 2025 by taking part in in a CPT occasion at WSOP Paradise.

Irv Gotti

Legendary hip-hop producer Irv Gotti, who’s credited with discovering rap skills like Jay-Z and DMX, died on the poker desk.

In accordance with information stories, The Homicide Inc. Data founder suffered a stroke in February 2025 in the course of a poker house recreation.

Gotti was a longtime poker participant and had $44,106 in Hendon Mob earnings. The New York native had his first money in 2010 within the Borgata Poker Open Championship Occasion in Atlantic Metropolis.

Maxo Kream

Waka Flocka Flame is not the one rapper to take up poker on the Celeb Poker Tour. In November 2024, Houston rapper Maxo Cream performed within the CPT Championship in Las Vegas, the place he advised PokerNews he discovered poker per week earlier than by taking part in on Twitch.

“I do a lil’ some’some. I play poker extra with finesse. So long as you’ve acquired your finesse recreation proper, … there’s time and alternative. You simply get the hand that’s dealt to you. However I’m a’ight,” mentioned the “Roaches” rapper with 1.2 million month-to-month Spotify listeners.

24kGoldn

One other up-and-coming rap star to dabble in poker is 24kGoldn, a California rapper with over 10 million month-to-month Spotify listeners.

24kGoldn, identified for hit “Temper” with greater than a half-billion views on YouTube, is a daily on the Celeb Poker Tour and later performed in Hellmuth’s Residence Recreation hosted by Poker Corridor of Famer Phil Hellmuth.

Bun B

One more rapper to return to poker by means of the Celeb Poker Tour is Bun B of the seminal southern hip-hop group UGK.

The Houston rap legend introduced his trillness to the poker desk when he performed the CPT Invitational II in Las Vegas in February 2024.

Angela Defoe

Los Angeles-based producer Angela Defoe, who had a viral pop single in 2020, is an avid poker participant with $94,335 in dwell earnings and two match victories underneath her belt.

“Since I used to be a child, all of our household reunions was poker and Filipino meals. And I might take stacks of chips and make little homes and little roads for my playing cards,” Defoe advised PokerNews in an interview on the 2025 WSOP.

Defoe, whose 2020 single “Black Metallic Romance” has over 1.6 million views on YouTube, is married to The Purple Jumpsuit Equipment singer and founder Ronnie Winter, who she mentioned can also be a little bit of a poker participant.

Subsequent, PokerNews will check out the rock stars and punk legends who play poker.

*Photographs courtesy of World Poker Tour/Joe Giron, Celeb Poker Tour, All In Britney through Instagram & WikiMedia Commons

Connor Richards is a Senior Editor U.S. for PokerNews and host of the Life Outdoors Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for 3 World Poker Awards for his writing.