​Muscle god Chris Hemsworth celebrated the news that his gorgeous wife Elsa Pataky is pregnant with their first child just like anybody else would ... by diving down an inflatable slide off a helicopter-carrying luxury yacht with Matt Damon in St. Barts on Wednesday.

This is how Thor and Jason Bourne unwind.

And you thought your vacation was fun.

Don't expect to see Matt Damon's name on the ballot in 2012 -- because despite Michael Moore's blessing ... Damon says he's got no plans to run for President of the United States.

How bout them apples?

Michael Moore wants Matt Damon to run for PRESIDENT -- not just because he believes in Matt's outspoken politics ... but because he believes Matt might actually WIN in 2012.

Michael spoke in an online seminar yesterday for FireDogLake.com -- and when asked who he thought would be a viable candidate in next year's election, Michael instantly replied, "Matt Damon."

Check out the audio to hear why.

As we previously reported, Matt's definitely got passion -- going on a badass tirade recently at an education rally in defense of teachers.


So we gotta ask ...

Matt Damon channeled the spirit of Will Hunting this weekend at an education rally in DC -- unapologetically OWNING a hapless reporter, who implied teachers are ONLY motivated by fear of losing their jobs. 

How do you like them apples?

Tobey Maguire's super-exclusive high-stakes celebrity poker circle was SERIOUS when it came to cash -- in fact, TMZ has learned, if you didn't pay up ... you were blackballed for life. 


A regular player in the exclusive poker circle -- which included Leo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Nick Cassavetes and Todd Phillips -- tells TMZ, the poker games took place every Tuesday night for nearly 2 years ... from 2005-2007. 

The circle was small -- only 8 or 9 players at a time -- and we're told, the mood was always "super serious" ... no joking, no drinking. The games would start around 10PM and go all night.

It wasn't uncommon for tempers to flare either -- we're told screaming matches happened on the regular ... and on the rare occasion, the table even got tossed over.

There was no official buy-in -- but we're told, hands often got as big as $150,000 a pot. We're told players would regularly lose $500,000 in one sitting ... no big deal.

But these guys weren't carrying briefcases of cash with them -- we're told most of the time, they played on credit ... and if someone didn't pay, that was it ... they were out of the circle forever.

Inside the room, there were dealers, massage girls, lots of security, food, and a full bar ... presumably for the spectators -- which included a list of billionaires ... and one time, the Olsen Twins.

As for who was the ultimate card shark -- we're told that was Tobey, no question.

"Girls Gone Wild" kingpin Joe Francis -- who was named as a player in the Tobey Maguire poker scandal -- is adamant the card games are "perfectly legal" ... and he can back it up!


Francis was leaving Katsuya in Hollywood last night ... when he told us the legendary Hollywood games have been going on for "quite a while."

Joe also claimed he had a lawyer research the law about private poker games and found out, "As long as [the games] are between those few [players] and there's no house that takes a commission ... all these games that go on in Hollywood are perfectly legal."

TMZ spoke with powerhouse poker attorney Marc Zwillinger -- who reps the interests of poker players including through the Poker Players Alliance -- who backed up Joe's claim ... telling us, "Private home games in California are not illegal where there is no 'house.'"

Tobey Maguire is the only one getting sued for allegedly playing unlicensed poker with a ponzi scheme criminal, but we've learned other big celebs regularly put their chips on the table with Tobey.


Here's what we know.  Tobey, Leo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon often played high-stakes, Texas Hold 'em poker together, where tens of thousands of dollars regularly changed hands.  We've learned the games were sometimes played at the Hollywood Hills home of Rick Salomon, Paris Hilton's sex tape partner in "One Night in Paris."

Tobey is being sued by the trustees in the bankruptcy case involving Brad Ruderman, who's currently in prison for running a Ponzi scheme.  Ruderman was allegedly involved in some of these illegal, unlicensed poker games with Tobey, who came out on top to the tune of over $300,000.  The trustees feel the scheme was illegal so they want Tobey's winnings back.

Here's a fun fact.  The house these stars sometimes played at -- located above the Sunset Strip -- was purchased by Rick Salomon with the proceeds from his sex tape. 



And here's a funner fact.  We're told Leo pulled out of the games after he started dating Bar Refaeli and he didn't think it would be a good idea to continue.

Matt Damon and "Office" star John Krasinski got in touch with their American roots on Wednesday -- hitting up a guitar/gun/grocery-selling gas station in Upstate New York. Seriously, the place exists.



It's called Dick's Country Store & Music Oasis in Churubusco, NY -- and we're told, the Hollywood duo stopped in to scope the place out for an upcoming film project.

As far as we know, no guns were purchased. America! F**k yeah!

Matt Damon doesn't HATE the Snuggie .... or his nacho tray that plays mariachi music (actually, that one's pretty awesome) -- he just thinks there's a more environmentally friendly way to spend your holiday dough.


Damon got all bundled up for AOL's "You've Got..." series -- in which he shows off some of the worst Xmas gifts he's gotten over the years (including a stuffed animal his kids won't even touch).

But the coolest gift Damon thinks you can give is a pretty badass water bottle that his brother designed ... and 100% of the profits all go towards Water.org -- a group dedicated to getting clean water to people all over the world!

And who wouldn't drink to that?

We all thought it, but it's actually true -- Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are related. How do you like them apples?



The New England Historic Genealogical Society concluded the Oscar-winning man-friends are actually 10th cousins ... once removed, the Boston Herald reports. They share a common 10th great-grandfather, William Knowlton of Ipswich, a bricklayer who died in 1655.

It also turns out Ben is an 11th cousin to Barack Obama and Matt is related to "six or seven" presidents.

What a family gathering that would make.

Even Matt Damon knows his IMDB is soiled with a few stinkers -- because let's face it, not every movie can be "The Departed."


Matt admitted his shortcomings yesterday after a photog in New York sucked up to him by saying, "You've never made a bad movie in your whole life."

The "Stuck on You" and "The Brothers Grimm" actor quickly called BS on the guy ... literally ... by saying, "That's bulls**t."