Linda Johnson (born October 14, 1953) is an American professional poker player, journalist and consultant, based in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

. She was inducted into the

Poker Hall of Fame The Poker Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional poker in the United States. Founded in Las Vegas, it was created in 1979 by Benny Binion, the owner of the Horseshoe Casino, to preserve the names and legacies of the world's greatest p ...

in 2011.

Early life

Linda Johnson was born in Long Island, New York. Before becoming involved in poker, Johnson worked for the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

and traveled to Las Vegas regularly to play blackjack. Her father, a career service member, convinced her that playing poker was the best way to gamble as it was not played against the house.Lutynec, Joann
Linda Johnson: First Lady of Poker
September 13, 2005. CardSquad

Poker playing career

Johnson began playing poker in 1974 and won a

World Series of Poker The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada and, since 2004, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best-known poker p ...

(WSOP) bracelet in

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

in the $1,500 seven-card razz event. She also appeared in the

Poker Royale ''Poker Royale'' is a television series on the Game Show Network (GSN), which featured No Limit Texas hold 'em Poker. The first series began on December 7, 2004. The eighth and final series, ''Poker Royale: Young Bloods II'', began airing on D ...

: Comedians vs. Pros series. , her total live tournament winnings exceed $300,000.

Other poker activities

Johnson is known as "The First Lady of Poker", a phrase coined by Mike Sexton due to her lengthy association with the game, in particular the

World Poker Tour The World Poker Tour (WPT) is an internationally televised gaming and entertainment brand. Since 2002, the World Poker Tour has operated a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting playdown and the f ...

(WPT) as she explains in the Ladies Night episode of WPT Season 6. She worked as the publisher of ''

CardPlayer Magazine Card players are those participating in a card game. Various names are given to card players based on their role or position. Position Games of Anglo-American origin In games of Anglo-American origin played in English-speaking countries, ...

'' for eight years, before selling the company to Barry Shulman. However, she still writes articles for the magazine. She also set up the Tournament Directors Association (TDA), which sets common rules for tournaments such as the WPT. She continues to be involved with the TDA by serving on the Board of Directors. Johnson was one of the founders of the World Poker Tour and was the announcer to the studio audience for its first six seasons. In addition, she is a partner in Card Player Cruises. In 2009, Johnson helped found PokerGives.org, a nonprofit organization that makes it easier for poker players to donate to charity. On Monday, February 27, 2017, the World Poker Tour awarded Ms. Linda Johnson with the inaugural WPT Honors Award, representing outstanding contributions to the WPT and the greater poker community. “We are proud to present Linda Johnson with the inaugural WPT Honors Award,” said Adam Pliska, CEO of the World Poker Tour. “The award represents WPT’s highest honor and will serve as a lasting tradition that allows us to recognize the most important people in our industry and in the WPT’s history. Linda played a unique role in helping shape the World Poker Tour, and she embodies all that the WPT stands for."

References

External links

Interview with Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher

PokerCoaching Interview

WPT management profile

Card Player Cruises

Tournament Directors Association

Hendon Mob tournament results

PokerGives.org

World Poker Tour honors Linda Johnson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Linda American poker players World Series of Poker bracelet winners American gambling writers 1953 births Living people Female poker players Poker Hall of Fame inductees