Casino Owner And High-Stakes Poker Player Larry Flynt Passes Away At The Age of 78Adult Entertainment Mogul Owned The Hustler Casino In Los Angeles |
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Larry Flynt
Flynt’s career in the adult entertainment industry began with his opening of several strip clubs in Ohio in the early ’70s, which he called Hustler Clubs. When revenues from the clubs declined, he decided to pivot into publishing with Hustler magazine. The pornographic content in the magazine was often more explicit than other offerings at the time, which drew both publicity and controversy. As a result, Flynt was often credited as a champion of First Amendment rights.
The creation of his publishing empire and the resulting legal issues were chronicled in the 1996 film The People vs. Larry Flynt, starring Woody Harrelson as Flynt.
The former Presidential candidate was shot in 1978 outside of the Gwinnett County Courthouse in Georgia during one of his legal battles, and was left partially paralyzed due to spinal cord damage.
In 2000 Flynt opened the Hustler Casino in Gardena, just outside of Los Angeles. Flynt was an avid poker player for much of his life, having learned the game when he was “ten or eleven.” In the late ’90s he started a high-stakes seven-card stud game at his home, which was later moved to his casino.
Flynt on the cover of Card Player in 2002
“I could never play a slot machine or $10 blackjack,” said Flynt in regards to why he likes to play so high. “You got to have that rush. You’ve got to be playing for something that’s important. I think that a thing that’s given me an edge is that I’m fortunate to have money, so if I lose $200,000 or $300,000 in a night and it wouldn’t mean anything to me.”
Although he was banned from the summer series for some time by Jack Binion, Flynt had one World Series of Poker cash on his tournament resume, finishing eighth in the 2000 $5,000 stud event.
Check out the video interview with Flynt about his high stakes stud game below: