Linda Johnson
Encyclopedia
Linda Johnson is an American
professional poker
player, journalist and consultant, based in Las Vegas
, Nevada
. She was elected into the Poker Hall of Fame
in 2011.
, Johnson worked for the United States Postal Service
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.
(WSOP) bracelet in 1997
in the $1,500 seven-card razz
event.
She also appeared in the Poker Royale
: Comedians vs Pros series.
, her total live tournament winnings exceed $300,000.
(WPT) as she explains in the Ladies Night episode of WPT Season 6.
She worked as the publisher of CardPlayer Magazine 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 currently works as a Poker Relations Consultant for the WPT, also working as an announcer to the studio audience. In addition, she is an organiser for Card Player Cruises.
In 2009, Johnson helped found PokerGives.org, a nonprofit organization that makes it easier for poker players to donate to charity.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player, journalist and consultant, based in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. She was elected into the Poker Hall of Fame
Poker Hall of Fame
The Poker Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional poker playing in the United States. Founded and located in Las Vegas, Nevada, 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 poker players and to serve...
in 2011.
Early life
Linda Johnson was born in 1953 in Long Island, New York. Before becoming involved in pokerPoker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
, Johnson worked for the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
and traveled to Las Vegas regularly to play blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
. 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.
Poker playing career
Johnson began playing poker in 1974 and won a World Series of PokerWorld Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(WSOP) bracelet in 1997
1997 World Series of Poker
The 1997 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe. Most notably, it was the only WSOP where the final table of the main event took place outdoors, at the Fremont Street Experience, just outside of Binions...
in the $1,500 seven-card razz
Razz (poker)
Razz is a form of stud poker that is normally played for ace-to-five low . The object of Razz is to make the lowest possible five-card hand from the seven cards you are dealt. In Razz, straights and flushes do not count against the player for low, and the ace usually plays low...
event.
She also appeared in the Poker Royale
Poker Royale
Poker Royale was a television series on the Game Show Network , which featured No Limit Texas hold 'em Poker. The first series began on December 7, 2004. The seventh and final series, Poker Royale: Battle of the Ages, began airing on November 4, 2005...
: 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 TourWorld Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
(WPT) as she explains in the Ladies Night episode of WPT Season 6.
She worked as the publisher of CardPlayer Magazine for eight years, before selling the company to Barry Shulman
Barry Shulman
Barry Shulman is an American poker player who has enjoyed success in competitive poker tournaments over the past 15 years, and is the CEO of CardPlayer Magazine.-Life and career:...
. However, she still writes articles for the magazine. She also set up the Tournament Directors Association
Tournament director (poker)
In the game of poker, the tournament director is the individual charged with running the poker tournament. The job encompasses many roles, the most public of which is typically announcing the phrase "shuffle up and deal!" at the beginning of the day...
(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 currently works as a Poker Relations Consultant for the WPT, also working as an announcer to the studio audience. In addition, she is an organiser for Card Player Cruises.
In 2009, Johnson helped found PokerGives.org, a nonprofit organization that makes it easier for poker players to donate to charity.