Linda Johnson

I’ll admit it. I’m mesmerized by ESPN’s coverage of the 2010 WSOP Main Event. As I watched the Tuesday night episodes, I jotted down some thoughts on scrap paper so I could discuss my observations with some of my poker friends. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep the scraps of paper in any type of order, so…

Since becoming one of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine finalists, many articles have been written about 24 year old Joseph Cheong. These have detailed his aggressive playing style, his poker background, his previous tournament wins, and lots of other biographical data. One thing most articles don’t provide is insight to what…

I’ve been traveling constantly for the past six weeks. First, I went on an exploratory two-week cruise on the biggest ship in the world. Next, I hosted a week-long poker tournament at the Eureka Casino in Mesquite, Nevada. After stopping home overnight to watch some TIVO and do laundry, I flew to Indianapolis for one…

Although I love being entertained, I’ve never really thought of myself as a show critic. When my editor sent me an e-mail suggesting that my next blog be about the top 10 Vegas “must-see” shows, I didn’t realize what hard work it would be to narrow it down to 10 since there are so many…

If you are a poker player and you didn’t make it to the Rio to be part of or even witness the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP), you definitely missed out! As one friend of mine said, the WSOP has definitely matured. Kudos to Jack Effel and his entire staff for the many, many…

Floridians have been eagerly awaiting July 1st, the day the legislature raised the legal buy-in amount from its previous $100 maximum. I decided to head to Ft. Lauderdale to see first-hand what this would mean for poker players. My first stop was at Isle Casino and Racing at Pampano Park. I was thrilled to learn…

In my last blog, I shared some of the Las Vegas locals’ secrets regarding food establishments. In this blog, I’ll be filling you in on some of the locals’ favorite things to do after busting out of a tournament. The Las Vegas Strip is a major attraction in itself. If you don’t have a car,…

Many of you will be coming to Las Vegas soon to play in the World Series of Poker (WSOP). For some of you, all you want to do while you are here is gamble. For others, you may want to take some time off from the casinos and enjoy dining where the locals eat. In…

Charles R. Swindoll once said, “I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.” Lately, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how lucky I am to…

I’ve been on an abnormally good tournament run lately and made three final tables in three days. Two of them involved some interesting deal making, which I will describe in this blog.

I just got back from a week at the Commerce Casino playing in the L.A. Poker Classic (LAPC) and its live games. It was the best poker trip I’ve had in a long time. The tournament schedule was awesome!

I’m sure some of today’s young players would scoff at the conditions 30 years ago. First of all, we didn’t have all of the conveniences of modern technology such as a tournament clock.

I’ve had lots of highlights in my poker career, but attending the dinner and ceremony during which Mike Sexton was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame is certainly among the highest.

One of the annual events that I look forward to attending each year is the California State Ladies Poker Championship (CSLPC) held at the Oceans Eleven Casino in Oceanside. In fact, I’ve never missed one since this event debuted 13 years ago.

I just returned from a wonderful nine-day Card Player Cruises trip to New England and Canada. The fall foliage was magnificent and the lobster and clams on the East Coast are much, much tastier than their counterparts on the West Coast.

I recently returned from a 10-day trip to Indiana. The first part of the trip was spent at the Hollywood Casino (formerly Argosy Casino) in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The new $336 million facility is more than twice the size of its former vessel.

I had the best job of anyone on the World Poker Tour. I got to travel all over the world, meet lots of awesome people, get my hair and makeup done, entertain an audience of poker players, and say “Shuffle Up and Deal!” I also got to work with an incredible crew including Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten.

I recently returned from a trip to Washington, DC in which I was privileged to be part of the Poker Players Alliance’s (PPA) National Poker Week Fly-In. Part of this event included a gathering of 33 PPA State Directors, a handful of poker celebrities, and various lobbyists and media members.

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) held a press conference at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) to announce several of its latest projects including National Poker Week, a national poker petition, and a new website called mypokerstory.com. I hope you will check out some of these projects.