DAMON NOW KNOWS WHEN TO FOLD 'EM.Byline: - Bob Strauss After winning a writing Oscar (and a Best Actor nomination) for ``Good Will Hunting'' and playing the title role in the most admired film of the summer, Steven Spielberg's ``Saving Private Ryan,'' is there anything left that could impress Matt Damon? Sure. Losing his shirt at the World Series of Poker The World Series of Poker is the largest set of poker tournaments in the world. It is held annually in Las Vegas, lasting just over a month. A bracelet is awarded to the winner of each of the fifty-plus events which include all the major varieties of poker. . ``At that level, it's like playing basketball with Michael Jordan This article is about the former basketball player. For other uses, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player. or something,'' says Damon, who portrays a world-class, if reluctant, card sharp in his latest movie, ``Rounders round·er n. 1. One that rounds, especially a tool for rounding corners and edges. 2. One, such as a security guard, who makes rounds. 3. A dissolute person. 4. Sports a. .'' ``You can tell you're totally outgunned.'' Damon and co-star co·star also co-star n. A starring actor or actress given equal status with another or others in a play or film. tr. & intr.v. co·starred, co·star·ring, co·stars To act or present as a costar. Edward Norton were invited to play in the annual Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. event. Johnny Chan, the 1997 and '98 world champion, was an adviser and makes a brief appearance in the film. But even though Chan taught the actors many of the skills that make poker poker, card game, believed to have originated in Asia and first played in the United States in the 19th cent. A traditional cutthroat gambling game at first, it is now also an internationally popular social pastime. much more like chess than other games of chance, the young guys from Hollywood went in knowing they didn't stand a chance. ``The great thing about it for us was that we were probably the only two guys there who weren't entertaining the fantasy of winning it,'' Damon says. ``It's $10,000 to get into the tournament, and the casino waived that for us, so it was the ultimate way to take in the experience; I would never put my own money on the line having met these guys. There's just no way that I'd ever win.'' And he didn't. After surviving to the end of the series' first day, Damon bet all he had on two kings in the hole, then lost to a pro holding aces. ``It was a great way to lose because I went out on a good hand,'' Damon says. ``Edward and I just wanted to lose in a dignified dig·ni·fied adj. Having or expressing dignity. dig  ni·fied ly adv. way and not make fools of ourselves, and we did.''
And they made a new friend in the process. Sort of. ``Johnny Chan invited us to come play with him at any time,'' Damon says. ``But that's the kind of thing where it's like, you know, thanks but no thanks.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Edward Norton, left, and Matt Damon show off their poker faces in ``Rounders.'' |
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