He’s had a chequered acting career often courting controversy for his off the wall parts and audacious profile but at the weekend in Cannes Hollywood star Woody Harrelson was in complete control as he won a major charity poker competition.

Harrelson showed just why he has a reputation as a mean Poker player splitting first prize at the Cannes celebrity Poker event with French actress Alice Taglioni. So what is Woody Harrelson’s secret? What has pushed him to a new level from a relatively unknown?

The final table at the Cannes charity event, which saw $500,000 donated to charities of the winner’s choice, consisted of Hollywood stars such as Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Hopper and Salma Hayek. While many may have given Harrelson little hope of bringing home the big prize he seemed to have other ideas and took the field apart. So what is his secret?

While Poker movies were all the rage in Hollywood for a while, many people may have missed Harrelson’s Poker film ‘The Grand’ which was released earlier this year. In the movie he takes on the role of a Poker player and it seems as though he has been taking lessons to improve his knowledge and understanding of the game – and it has paid off in fine style!

Even though the movie may not have been the raging success which he had hoped, it has certainly given his own Poker skills a major boost.

When asked at the time ‘the Grand’ was released if he’s ever lost while gambling Harrelson replied “Oh, yeah. All too many times. One time I went to Las Vegas with my brother, just to check it out; we were just passing through, heading toward the Midwest. So we stopped at one of the hotels — I forget, Caesar’s Palace or something — and we go in and start gambling. I lose everything I have, and it’s, like, really early in the morning, and for some reason I can’t get any more money. I couldn’t even pay the valet guy. I literally had to beg someone — this is many years ago — but, uh, I had to beg money to pay the valet, to get the car.”

This time however Harrelson ended up on the winning side with consistent high quality poker playing.

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