JAN FISHER 

LPA:  Why did you choose to be part of the LPA?

JF:  To try to get more women involved in playing poker.  Poker is friendlier for women now, and there are more women in poker rooms than ever before.  I have mixed feelings about women-only events, but if this is what it takes to get women out to play, then the LPA is a good vehicle for them.  Women’s events are a starter kit for women.  Eventually, there may not be a need for anymore women-only events.

LPA:  If you could change one thing in the world of poker, what would it be?

JF:  So many bad things are already changing, like no-abusive conditions.  I would like to see all casinos have a tracking system to reward their regular guests.   Also, with a fast, huge growth of poker, employees were thrown into jobs they were not qualified for, and they’re still there.  Therefore, there needs to be better training for the casino staff.

LPA:  What personal goals do you have in the world of poker?

JF:  My immediate goal is the Poker Players Alliance and the PPA’s efforts to overturn the online gaming bill.  I would also like to promote the longevity and the integrity of poker and to help players gain knowledge of the in’s and out’s of poker and the rules.

LPA:  Tell us about yourself.

JF:  My interest in poker began at a young age.  My father was a poker enthusiast and used to host home games a few times a week.  In fact, at the age of 84, he still plays almost every day.

At the age of 21, I moved from Seattle—where I had been working as a Teamster—to Las Vegas to become a poker dealer.  I worked in more than dozen cardrooms over the course of almost 20 years, which helped my poker skills improve, as I spent so many hours “in the box.”

I love competition, therefore find that poker is a way to challenge myself and to keep my mind stimulated.  I branched into the business side of poker and have managed to combine work with an activity that I truly love.  Much of my time these days is spent teaching poker, directing tournaments, and cruising with my company, Card Player Cruises.  In addition, I still like to squeeze in a game of poker when I get the chance.

I love everything about the game and the lifestyle.  My life is a fairy tale, and I can’t believe I am living far beyond any dream I ever had in the business world.

Jan’s accomplishments and activities include:  co-owner, Card Player Cruises; co-founder of the Tournament Directors Association; statistician for the World Poker Tour; columnist for Card Player magazine; World Poker Tour Boot Camp instructor; member, Board of Directors of Poker Players Alliance; director and hostess of the semi-annual Oasis Open poker tournament at the Oasis Resort and Spa in Mesquite, Nevada; live studio announcer for the Professional Poker Tour; tournament director for the PartyPoker.com Million events; winner of the Inaugural Japanese Poker Championship (JPC); four World Series of Poker final table appearances; traveled to the Philippines in the fall of 2006 to co-host the Inaugural Pan-Asian Poker Tour.