A Look Inside L.A. Artists’ Poker Game

Hitting the tables has become a major part of the L.A. art scene, according to a recent report by the Los Angeles Times, which highlighted an exclusive game that features some of the city’s eclectic artists who regularly get together for some Texas hold’em action.

The game has apparently been played for decades at gallery exhibits and artist studios and continues to grow. Painter Sarah Kim moved from New York to L.A. a few years ago and quickly realized the popularity of the game.

“It was clear to me that poker was a huge part of the art world in L.A.,” she told the newspaper.

Diverse Group

While the art world may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of some card playing, the game may point to just how popular poker has become. Poker has experienced another boom in recent years, thanks to the growth of streaming, Twitch play, and the popularity of online poker. Many live tournaments continue to see record fields in recent years as well.

The Los Angeles area has long been hotbed for live poker and this group of artists, curators, collectors, and authors has gotten on board.

“People sometimes use poker as a vice or form of escapism, but we’re using it as more of a socializing tool,” art collector and poker fan Jason Roussos said.

At a time when many operators are looking to bring more women into poker, the “art game” features many female players as well.

Poker & Art

Eric Kim, owner of two artist spaces, regularly hosts poker games and the venues. He has long been a player on the L.A. poker scene and offers some tutoring on occasion for newbies to the games. He agreed that the social aspects of poker are what drives the popularity of the art games.

“I think a lot of people enjoyed the contained structure of socializing at a poker game,” he told the Times.

The poker scene has created some real bonds that have carried over to the players’ artwork as well. The Matthew Brown Gallery recently held a poker-themed group show with works from 15 poker-playing artists called “At Home in the Neon.” The title is an homage to Las Vegas.

Poker has long been an inspiration for artists. The “Dogs Playing Poker” series of paintings remain extremely popular and have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Poker player and artist Stanley Grandon also recently launched PokerFaceArt featuring his own unique takes on canvas featuring poker players.