Celebrity Poker Player: Lacey Jones

Lacey Jones is a multi-talented actress, model, commentator and a great poker player! Not according to the hordes of poker enthusiasts who follow her every move. To them, she is the poker goddess.

Lacey Jones started playing poker as a kid while on family vacations to South Carolina. The whole family, otherwise known as The Jones Clan, would spend evenings at their beach house playing poker games all night long.




She first made it into the mainstream poker while playing in a tournament on ESPN, originally been hired as a model for the tournament, but due to her play she was contacted by Absolute Poker to represent them in many events.



When she is not at the poker tables, Lacey spends a lot of her time modeling or doing film work.

Outside of poker, Jones has also appeared on hits like HBO’s “Entourage,” “Las Vegas,” and Fox’s “The O.C.”




Lacey Jones has been in the poker limelight before, but this is the first time she is getting attention because of a room sponsorship.



Online poker rooms sponsor high profile poker players as a way of marketing their brand, and that is just the case with Absolute Poker, which recently signed up the poker player as a sponsored pro.

Lacey Jones will be representing the online poker room at live events and online, wearing their gear at big TV events like the World Series of Poker, and generally serving as an advocate for Absolute Poker.

LACEY JONES TALKS ABOUT POKER

In Poker News Daily, Lacey Jones talks about her signing up with Absolute Poker as well as a poker player:

PND: Do you play online poker now?

Lacey Jones : I was living in Los Angeles and modeling. I was playing in a lot of home games with directors and producers, which was good networking. I was doing it for fun and my agent called to say that she had an opportunity for me. It was to play in an ESPN Mike and Mike in the Morning charity event for cystic fibrosis, which my uncle died from. I did well in the tournament and a week later, Absolute Poker called my agent and wanted to book me. I met with Mark Serif in Las Vegas and he asked me if I would go pro if they gave me the right tools.


PND: You were voted the Hottest Girl in Poker by Wicked Chops in 2008. Is that flattering or disturbing?

Lacey Jones: It’s totally flattering and it’s cool that they said I won by a landslide. I’m so honored to have great fans and friends. When I first started, it was a weird reception. Then, people started seeing how I play. It’s been a long uphill battle.




PND: Do men still treat women differently at the poker tables?

Lacey Jones: It’s starting to change, but you still get guys who don’t want to lose a pot to a girl. They will make hero calls or do things they wouldn’t normally do. Other guys will say things like, “Honey, you missed a bet on the turn.” If I know someone will pay me off or raise me, I’ll bait them.



PND: To what degree has reporting on poker improved your own game?

Lacey Jones: The best thing about being a reporter is that I’m also asking questions that I want to know the answers to. I am a student because I’m watching from the sidelines. I’m doing my own research to figure out how a person won, what their style is, and how it suits them. Then, I make that part of my game. A lot of people just want to copy one style and that’s not the right way to go.

Lacey Jones has a taste for enjoying life to the fullest. And she was recently nicknamed "The Poker Barbie”.

Photo courtesy of http://www.bluffmagazine.com | http://www.totalgambler.com | http://images.google.com



Interview courtesy of: http://www.pokernewsdaily.com

“The Duchess Of Poker”

How far would you go if you played at World Poker Tour for the first time?

When Annie Duke made her first major public appearance in the poker scene, she showed the world that females can play poker too. Many years of experience with cards and competition made her last until 14th place, and a total of $70,000 richer.






She spends 16-20 hours at a poker table making a living, all while being a full time mom of four and a yoga and health fanatic, hence, Duke is known as the world’s most successful female poker player!

Before Duke concentrated herself in poker, she is focused on her career in college where she excelled in academics and was studying for her PHD in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.

With the suggestion of her brother, renowned poker player Howard Lederer, Duke tried her hand at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. She ended up placing 13th in her first tournament, knocking her brother out of play. Duke won 70K in her first month of competition.

Since Duke began playing tournaments,she won over $3 Million dollars in poker tournament profession. Duke has 1 World Series Of Poker bracelet and has finished 2nd place twice.

In 2004, the stardom of her poker career, Duke won the $ 2,500 Limit Hold'em Bellagio Five-Star World Poker Classic/WPT Championship, and Las Vegas winning close to $150,000. Duke also won the very impressive tournament, Tournament of Champions for $2,000,000.





Duke generally does not attend ladies only events. She stated in an interview with CBS, "Poker is one of the only sports where a woman can compete on a totally equal footing with a man, so I don't understand why there's a ladies only tournament." Duke wants to beat only the best at the game whether they are male of female.

In 2005, Duke launched her first book called, “Annie Duke: How I raised, folded, bluffed, flirted, cursed and won millions at the World Series of Poker”. Written by herself and her co-writer David Diamond. The book includes from Duke's personal life to her poker career in achieving her first WSOP bracelet. Duke also launched her DVD’s, which include “Annie Duke’s Advanced Texas Hold’em Secrets: How to Beat the Big Boys”

Duke also launched “Annie Duke’s Beginner’s Guide To Texas Hold 'em” and “Annie Duke’s Girl’s Guide To Texas Hold 'em” both released in January 2006, and in February 2006, she launched, “Masters of Poker: Annie Duke’s Conquering Online Poker”.

In addition, Duke also engage in the Team Ultimate Bet,and is a sought after poker coach, teaching celebrities like Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Ashton Kutcher and Charles Barkley. She has a reputation of taking on the poker regulatory affairs in televised tournaments. She is also a member of the Mob on NBCs 1 vs 100. She also appeared on NBCs Poker After Dark thrice, without a win.




Duke was also featured in GSN premiered special Annie Duke Takes on the World appearing as an amateur poker player. She has also made an appearance on Deal or no Deal by supporting a contestant.

Annie Duke is one of the most famous names in the tournament circuit! In 2208, Duke holds the women's record for most "in the money" finishes at the WSOP.

Annie Duke routinely raises funds to benefit charities and frequently offers a private poker lessons with herself as a charity auction item. She is involved in various charitable organizations including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ante Up for Africa, Children’s Hospital, and many others. That is why Duke is chosen to be a project manager on Celebrity Apprentice.