Maria Ho – Shuffle up and Deal

Maria is defying boundaries with her successful career within the poker world! She’s an inspirational, ASIAN AMERICAN, female titan, who is on the road to transforming the male-dominated poker industry!

Summertime in Las Vegas can only mean one thing, it’s time for the World Series of Poker and this year Maria Ho is ready to turn the former male-dominated sport on its head! Only a few weeks in to the tournament, Maria took 2nd in the WSOP $5000 No Limit Hold’em event bringing home $540,020 and the record for the single biggest score ever by a woman at the WSOP.

Maria shares her “No Limit Hold’em” tips with poker enthusiasts in her book Winning Women of Poker: Secret Strategies Revealed (Seaside Publishing, $18.95).

A fan favorite beyond the poker table, Maria is widely recognized for her stint on the 15th season of CBS’s seven-time Emmy Award winning television show “The Amazing Race” alongside fellow poker player and close friend, Tiffany Michelle. Additionally, Maria competed in the 3rd season of Fox’s widely popular show American Idol. No stranger in front of a camera, Maria also serves as a regular commentator and contributor for ESPN360’s poker broadcasts.

Maria holds the title of Last Woman Standing at the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing 38th out of 6,358 participants. She is ranked 13th in the world among female poker pros in overall earnings, winning over a million dollars in her short 6 years on the circuit and is ranked as one of Poker’s Top 10 Female Tournament Money Earners of all time (under 30). In the past 7 months, Maria has scored a second-place finish in the $10K Eight-Game event at the Aussie Millions and a sixth-place finish at the WSOP Circuit event in South Africa. A fluent speaking Chinese American, Maria has even competed in the World Mahjong Tour in Hong Kong and went head to head with celebrities from China and Taiwan and professional mahjong players!

ASIANCE: What do your parents say about you being a professional poker player?

Maria: Being born and raised in a traditional Chinese family, poker definitely wasn’t the career path my parents wanted or expected for me. It’s been difficult for them, especially for my mother to accept their daughter doing something so unconventional. But at the end of the day they are my parents and they’re proud of me and support me even though culturally my career in poker and lifestyle is very untraditional.

ASIANCE: Where is your favorite place to play?

Maria: I get the chance to play at all different kinds of places but I’ve come to really love the people and property at WinStar World Casino. Their southern hospitality is really refreshing and every section of the casino is themed for a different, major city across the world. It’s like getting to visit all my favorite international destinations with just one stop!

ASIANCE: Where would you love to play?

Maria: I’ve played in places like Australia, France, the Dominican Republic etc. but surprisingly the one place I have yet to play in is Macau. I’d really like to see the growth of poker in Asia and experience how far the game has come. Hopefully as more areas across the country legalize playing poker I’ll have more opportunities to play there.

ASIANCE: What do you do with your winnings?

Maria: As a poker player, a lot of our winnings go back into playing poker and paying for our buy-ins and travel expenses. Of course, being a girl who loves clothes, shoes and handbags I allow myself some fun shopping sprees every now and then. Mostly I’ve found that the thing that makes me happiest is sharing my winnings and success with the people who are closest to me. I love treating my friends and family to trips, dinners, and fun outings and experiences. And my parents never forget to remind me to be smart with my money and tuck some away!

Maria Ho – Taxation of Poker Winnings

ASIANCE: Do you play other games?

Maria: I love to play all sorts of games. I pretty much play every type of poker game there is. Growing up my grandfather taught me how to play Bridge and I’ve also played Mahjong since I was a child. In 2008 I was invited to play in the World Mahjong Tour Celebrity Invitational. It was a wonderful experience traveling to Hong Kong and getting to play against some of the highest ranked professional in the game.

ASIANCE: Do you have a poker face? Are you allowed to wear sunglasses?

Maria: I’m not sure I have a specific “poker face” or any kind of signature look when I play but I’m definitely aware of the information my face and body can give my opponent. Similarly there is a lot of information I can pick up from other players when reading their faces and paying attention to physical cues. Yes, sunglasses are allowed but I don’t use them.

ASIANCE: Is there a poker player you would like to study under? What do you think it would take to get you to the number one spot?

Maria: I am really lucky to be friends with some of the best players in the game, having the opportunity to discuss hands with them and be exposed to different points of view and styles of play. Personally, I’ve never wanted to mirror my game too closely after someone else. I try to develop my own style and figure out by trial and error what works for me, then add some other components that I pick up from others – essentially building my own game. To get to the number one spot I think a player always has to be learning, growing and adjusting their game. You can never get complacent in poker and you have to really put in the time and effort if you want to be the best.

ASIANCE: Do you ever watch that show Cheaters Las Vegas? And all the various ways you can cheat? Have you come across cheaters?

Maria: I’m not familiar with that show but I have seen plenty Vegas documentaries about cheating. Poker has come a long way, and in this day and age with how controlled the environment is in a card room or casino it makes it pretty difficult for people to cheat in poker anymore. But it’s like any other game, I’m sure there are always people who will try to cheat or gain an edge. I don’t come across it much in professional poker though.

ASIANCE: Is there a particular player you would like to go up against?

Maria: Even though most people would shy away from playing him, because he’s regarded as the best player in the world, I’d say Phil Ivey. I respect his game, I like a good challenge and it’d be great to say that I beat the best player in the world!

ASIANCE: Is there another woman player that you admire?

Maria: I really respect the careers of all the great female poker players who have come before me and blazed a trail for women in the game. If it weren’t for them and the strides they made to break into such a male dominated game I might not be where I am today.

ASIANCE: Do you still get excited every time you feel you are going to win? Do you get that rush?

Maria: One of the best feelings in poker is making it deep in a tournament and getting close to a big win. It’s definitely a rush. I think any competitive person loves the feel of competition and the taste of victory, especially when the stakes are high. Poker is an exciting game and if I ever stopped getting excited to play I don’t think I would do it anymore.

ASIANCE: I saw your interview with Anderson Cooper, you said being a woman is an advantage? Do you still believe that to be true?

Maria: Yes, of course. I think women are often underestimated in this game and that’s something you can use to your advantage. Women have a lot of inherent qualities that, when tailored to the game of poker can give them a special edge at the game.

ASIANCE: What advice do you have for women who want to get into this sport? How do you get better?

Maria: I think the biggest hurdle for women coming into this game is merely their own fear and comfortability, and the only way to tackle that is to sit down and start playing! Practical experience is really valuable and lot of it just comes down to being confident in your own game and having the confidence to face a sea of male opponents. The great thing about poker is that anyone can learn how to play and anyone who is willing to apply themselves can get better.

ASIANCE: Are you a fan of Jeremy Lin? He has similar background to you. What do you think of this Linsanity?

Maria: I’m a big basketball fan and even though the Lakers are my hometown LA team it’s been really exciting to watch Jeremy Lin’s career and root for him. I always feel a sense of pride when there is a prominent Asian figure achieving success and greatness in their field. I think it’s wonderful for Chinese and Taiwanese kids to have role models for them to look up to and relate to because they are from the same descent. I am all about Linsanity… I even have his jersey too!

Photography credits to Paul Thatcher and Mike Rozman