Nick Schulman opened up about playing in Molly Bloom's illegal games
July 21, 2026
The first episode of Nick Schulman's talk show "Poker Weekly" has aired on the streaming radio service SiriusXM. In it, the Poker Hall of Fame member shared, among other things, a story about playing in an illegal super-high-stakes cash game organized by Molly Bloom.
Later, Bloom moved to New York, where she continued running private high-stakes poker games and managed to attract celebrities and wealthy businessmen to them.
In 2013, Bloom was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and organizing illegal gambling. Charges were also brought against 33 other people alongside her, and the total amount of claims came to $100 million. Bloom faced up to 10 years in prison, but she took a plea deal and pleaded guilty to some of the charges. As a result, the court sentenced her to one year of probation, a $200,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service.
In 2014, Bloom published the book "Molly's Game: The True Story of the 26-Year-Old Woman Behind the Most Exclusive High-Stakes Poker Game in the World." It later became the basis for Aaron Sorkin's film "Molly's Game," starring Jessica Chastain. The picture received an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
"I did actually play in Molly Bloom's game. I remember being told to leave Molly a tip. I gave her, I think, $30,000. I'm not trying to flex crazy numbers, it was just my life. After that I was never invited to her games again, but it's all good," Schulman said.In the late 2000s, Molly Bloom, a former professional freestyle skier, began organizing illegal poker tournaments in Los Angeles. The stakes could reach $4,000,000. Various stars took part in the games: actors Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, rapper Nelly and 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Ivey.
Later, Bloom moved to New York, where she continued running private high-stakes poker games and managed to attract celebrities and wealthy businessmen to them.
In 2013, Bloom was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and organizing illegal gambling. Charges were also brought against 33 other people alongside her, and the total amount of claims came to $100 million. Bloom faced up to 10 years in prison, but she took a plea deal and pleaded guilty to some of the charges. As a result, the court sentenced her to one year of probation, a $200,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service.
In 2014, Bloom published the book "Molly's Game: The True Story of the 26-Year-Old Woman Behind the Most Exclusive High-Stakes Poker Game in the World." It later became the basis for Aaron Sorkin's film "Molly's Game," starring Jessica Chastain. The picture received an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
