Ben Affleck apparently knows when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.

The gambling-happy thesp took top honors at the California State Poker Championship Sunday, besting a field of 90 players and pocketing a $356,400 purse.


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Affleck was the first celeb ever to triumph at a major poker tournament, and officials at the L.A.-area Commerce Casino, which hosted the event, said they expected to see more of him on the pro circuit.

"This is not likely the last time you'll see Ben Affleck at one of our final tables," said spokeswoman Nancy Friedman. "He has become a respected member of the poker elite and continues to work to improve his game."

The victory secured the Daredevil star a buy-in spot in the World Poker Tour Championship next year, which is expected to pay out about $7 million in prize money to the planet's shrewdest poker players.

In a brief post-play speech, Affleck said he got lucky and was glad he proved that he was not a "complete donkey" at cards by besting poker pro Stan Goldstein, who came in second, and Castle Rock Entertainment honcho Chuck Pacheco, who finished in third place.

Fellow actor Tobey Maguire didn't show the same card-playing mettle--he was knocked out in the first day of the three-day tourney.

The victory was a redemption of sorts for Affleck. A known frequenter of Vegas casinos, the Oscar winner wound up losing to Sex and the City's Willie Garson on the inaugural episode of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown. Then again, he was only playing for a children's charity, instead of his own bank account.

So, Affleck will always have his poker-playing prowess to fall back on in case of career crisis--but as of now, the Beantown native has plenty ahead on his shooting schedule.

He'll next be seen in Surviving Christmas, opposite Christina Applegate and James Gandolfini, in which he'll star as a lonely record exec who rents a family to spend Christmas with him. The film is due out this November.

Affleck will also star in Glory Road, the story of how coach Don Haskins led an all-black basketball team to victory at the 1966 NCAA National Championship. The film is scheduled to start shooting this month and is due out next year.

Source: Sarah Hall, E-Online News