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The Executive

Jerry Buss is no stranger to high-stakes

Gerald H. "Jerry" Buss, made the largest transaction in sports history in 1979 when he purchased both the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team and the Los Angeles Kings hockey team for $67.5 million. Players like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant are only a handful of the stars who have played under his ownership. Not bad for a former real estate developer from Wyoming.

At the boardroom table, Buss is no stranger to high risk, so it's no surprise that he can sit just as comfortably at a high-stakes poker table. A cash-game player for many years, Buss has also been a regular on the tournament circuit. His best finishes include third in the 1991 World Series of Poker Seven-Card Stud event and second place in the 2003 World Poker Tour Invitational.

Buss has three final-table appearances and won the 2005 Bicycle Casino Winnin' o' the Green tournament. He recently placed 17th in a 294-player field in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'em event at the 2006 Commerce Casino L.A. Poker Classic.

In 2006, Buss received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. While there's no doubt that this man is a serious player in all walks of life, the question remains whether or not he can outshine some of the best No-Limit Hold 'em players in history.