Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather, once defined a degenerate gambler as ‘a man who gamble[s] simply to gamble – and must lose.’ That definition should be reconsidered in the case of Vince Van Patten, World Poker Tour host and veteran of the Hollywood poker scene. Van Patten often uses the phrase ‘degenerate gambler’ with affection when describing himself and the fellow action-junkies who, he says, will ‘bet on anything’. Contrary to Puzo’s assertion that failure for such chancers is inevitable, Van Patten offers living proof of degenerate success.

As he strolls into a roadside cafe in Santa Monica, Van Patten looks every bit the quintessential Malibu Man: even tan, smart-casual insouciance and unsullied Beverly Hills teeth.