Molly Bloom
Molly Bloom infiltrates and runs the underground poker scene for the world’s wealthiest men and A-list celebrities.
Former U.S. Olympic team skier Molly Bloom moves to L.A. and becomes the “poker princess” to the world’s wealthy and famous.
Molly’s memoir spawned the Aaron Sorkin written and directed movie by the same name.
Childhood
Molly grew up skiing in Colorado.
At the age of 12, she underwent a severe spine operation. Afterwards, the doctor told her she could never ski again. Immediately following the surgery Molly was back on the ski-hill. Molly made a career in skiing that culminated with securing a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.
She ended her skiing career because she wanted more for herself.
L.A.
After graduating college with a political science degree and spending a summer abroad in Greece, Molly moved to L.A., couch surfing and looking for a waitress jobs.
One day after quitting her serving job, she was almost hit by a car. The man driving the car offered her a job as a waitress. That same boss asked Molly to be his assistant and manage his high-stake poker games with his wealthy friends.
Molly didn’t know the first thing about poker. However, she seized the opportunity.
Poker Princess
Word travelled quickly, and soon everyone in Hollywood wanted in on Molly’s game.
Molly scheduled the games, accepting tips for her efforts and collecting payments for the winners. However, she was operating in a legal gray area. She was incorporated as an event planner; if she didn’t take a cut of the winnings, she wasn’t doing anything illegal.
She took the game from a dingy L.A. bar, The Viper Room, to world-class hotels filled with beautiful women.
The poker games included appearances by Tobey Maguire, Alex Rodriguez, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, Nelly, Matt Damon, Rick Salomon, Phil Ivery Olsen twins, etc. Bloom does hold back some details, except for her interactions with Tobey Maguire. He screws her over, and she details it in the book.
Molly Takes Control
One Christmas eve, when Molly was with her family, her boss fired her from running the poker games after failing to attend to his every need.
Molly approached another player for advice, and he encouraged her to start her own game, cutting out her boss.
New York City
The law catches up with Molly when she is running poker games out of New York City. She crossed over from a gray area to illegal after she began taking a cut of the earnings to cover the debts of her players.
Her run comes to a halt when she gets roped into a racketeering lawsuit amongst some players from her games whom she took a cut. Bloom pleads guilty for a lesser charge and to save on lawyer fees.
However, she ends up with a year of probation, community service and having to pay back some of her earnings.
Review
You don’t need to know a single thing about poker to enjoy this memoir.
It’s a gripping read, a peek behind the curtain of the world’s wealthiest and famous men who are looking for thrills. A small-town girl from Colorado ended up in rooms with some of the most powerful men on the planet. The players are at levels of wealth and celebrity where they no longer need to take risks to succeed.
The poker table is where they feel alive.
Molly’s writing style is not her strength. Nor does she make any profound realizations from her experiences. After she is arrested, she doesn’t take responsibility or feel remorse for her actions. She developed a unique set of skills and a network to transition her career after poker. She hardly admits to crossing the line from gray area to illegal.
Molly’s story is fascinating and I would recommend this book.
7.1/10
