Princess of Poker ended up losing everything

 

Molly Bloom knows what it's like to have to count a million dollars bill by bill.

 

The so-called "princess of poker" became famous for organizing millionaire games among the rich of Hollywood and ended up receiving a conviction by a federal court in the United States.

Now her story can be seen in the cinema, where she was played by the Californian actress Jessica Chastain, who this Monday was nominated for the 2018 Golden Globes awards for her participation in the film "Master bet" (Molly's Game ).

 

Bloom is now at large, but things could have been very different.

 

From the ski slopes to the Hollywood suites

 

Originally, the "princess of poker" was a highly competent skier whose sports career came to an abrupt end after she suffered an accident.

 

At the time, his natural destiny seemed to be the School of Law, but instead she ended up organizing poker games for the Hollywood elites, in which access was restricted and stakes millionaires.

 

Hundreds of millions of dollars changed hands in those meetings, to the point that Bloom says that one of the most surreal moments of that stage of his life was that day when she had to count a million dollars by hand.

 

But, that exciting life of the rich and famous also had its dark side.

 

On one occasion, Bloom was beaten up by the Russian mafia. She also started using drugs and, in 2011, all of his assets were confiscated after an FBI raid.

 

Two years later she was arrested in New York and charged with having gotten rich organizing illegal games.

 

It was not the only one. More than 30 people then fell as part of a wide network of illegal gambling and money laundering.

 

Bloom then faced the risk of being sentenced to five years in prison. But her fortune smiled at him. After an agreement with the judicial authorities, she was sentenced to pay a fine and was granted the benefit of parole.

 

After being released from prison, Bloom wrote a book recounting his experience and approached the writer Aaron Sorkin to propose that she adapt it to the cinema.

 

Thus was born "Master Bet".

 

Rarer than fiction

 

"I never imagined that I would be here. Particularly after pleading guilty in federal justice, without knowing the long-term consequences that could entail for me. Having such an exorbitant debt and having no money," said Bloom.

 

"I think it is important to recognize that the difficulties (that I went through) the last six or seven years were caused by me," she added. "I made a giant mistake. So being here in London… it feels very magical, like a fairy tale. It's an extraordinary moment that I couldn't foresee."

 

Bloom says her life felt stranger than fiction "all the time."

 

"Getting the book published and the movie made was not an easy task. But it helped because even though it was a difficult life to explain, I lived it. So I knew there was a true story there and something we hadn't seen because There were continually times when I would ask myself, 'Is this real life? It looks like a movie, "she said".

 

Among those quasi-cinematic moments, Bloom includes handling a lot of cash, access to Hollywood celebrities, shopping trips.

 

"But, the big moments for me were when I was taking calculated risks in situations where the odds were against it. When I was going against the billionaire boys' club or trying to find my way to something that I had no basis in and is something bigger than you ever imagined and then I really got it, "she said".

 

"Having faced that risk taught me to be very brave, maybe too brave in the end," he added.

 

Empty

 

In his book, Bloom provides details of the eight years he spent in charge of what is supposed to be one of the most exclusive poker networks in the world, whose clients included names like Leonardo Di Caprio and Ben Affleck.

 

After his fall from grace, Bloom says he began to ask himself questions, to analyze his own behavior and his values.

 

"To do something bigger than myself is certainly a lesson. If I had understood it when I started receiving bad cards, I would not have played them. I would have understood that it was time to go away and start something new, but I was very identified with money and that. position".

 

He assured that despite the power and wealth he used, he felt a "void" that he now wants to fill by doing something "with meaning." To do this, she is thinking of working with female entrepreneurs and creating shared workspaces and professional networking events.

 

But how well is his story reflected in the film Sorkin directed?

 

He raised my score on the Law School exam, gave me a few extra points, but mostly made a movie that is rooted in truth. I went through a lot of traumatic situations, so I had a lot to choose from. But I think he selected the best moments and mixed them into this story.

 

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