Poker Hottie - Shannon Elizabeth

As suggested by the banner above, every week I will be featuring a female poker player or hostess to present a softer side of the poker world. Women rarely get the credit or attention that they deserve in the world of poker, here's my tribute to them.

This Weeks HOTTIE - Shannon Elizabeth



I'm sure most people know who Shannon Elizabeth is. She is a very beautiful, very famous actress who has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows. Most notably, in my opinion, is her appearance in the first American Pie film, where she attempts to seduce Jason Biggs' character in his bedroom. What many people don't know is that she has a tremendous passion for poker, and has had some success playing against the best in the world.

Elizabeth, who describes poker as her second career is one of the leading celebrity poker players around. She visits Las Vegas up to three times each month to participate in poker games with the top players to play in private games and televised events alike. Shannon played in the Main Event of the 2005 World Series of Poker and won a special tournament celebrating the opening of a new poker room at Caesars Palace hotel in January 2006, beating out 83 celebrities and poker professionals to win $55,000.

She has also cashed four times in the World Series of Poker in 2006 and 2007, but again busted out of the Main Event early. In 2007, she advanced to the semi-finals of the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship in a field consisting of the top poker professionals before losing to eventual champion Paul Wasicka. Among the four opponents she defeated were three World Series of Poker multiple bracelet winners: Jeff Madsen, Barry Greenstein, and Humberto Brenes.

Her success and popularity amongst the poker world had become so great that she was at one point sponsored by Full Tilt Poker.