Susie Isaacs - Ms Poker

Susie Isaacs, Ms Poker to her many admirers, is one of the four charter members of the Women in Poker Hall of Fame.

With two World Series of Poker bracelets in her possession, won in consecutive years, and two books to her name, Isaacs is a women who knows her stuff at the poker table and always looks the part thanks to her self-styled poker-related jewellery.

How does it feel to be made a charter member of the Women in Poker Hall of Fame?
Unbelievable. I have always hoped to be in the same arena as Barbara Enright, Marsha Waggoner and Linda Johnson. It seems that I have made it for this occasion! I never thought that any (poker) emotion could compare with that of winning a WSOP bracelet. This honor is right up there with it!

Did it mean more for you to win your first WSOP bracelet or to defend your title the following year?
Equal, beyond belief thrills!

Which players do you expect to join you in the Hall of Fame in the near future?
Lupe Soto, Maureen Feduniak, Karina Jett, Kelley O'Hara, Marina Stern and Jan Fisher. There are many more.

How many hours a week do you spend at a table?
Since I took two years off and wrote four books, I play daily on the internet and pick and choose major or Las Vegas weekly tournaments. I try to play "live" tourneys at least once a week as I know that my poker gets "rusty" if I am not out there practicing. It is like a sport, if you don't keep in shape and practice regularly, you will not be at the top of your game.

Do you have any superstitions or good luck rituals that you go through before or during a game?
In really big important games, I talk to my mama and if I am nearing the most important late stages of the tournament, I talk to her a lot (in my head).

How did you get into poker and what made you decide that you could make a career from gambling?
I played ladies only events socially in the late '80s. It was purely social and I loved it and made very good friends. My life hit its darkest stage in 1990 when I lost my husband. Until then I had been a wife and mother and fully expected to live out my days in that role. Poker saved my life and then became my life.

What's the most important lesson you've learnt from playing poker?
To control my temper and be a gracious loser as well as a gracious winner. I decided some years ago that I didn't want to be a female crybaby comparable to the very famous poker player who now "owns" the number 11. I don't want to be rude and call any names but I am about to get my "Fill" of him. Kidding, of course. If I thought I could get as rich as him by being a his female counterpart, I would probably still be a crybaby, At the induction ceremony they gave me the "most improved" award!

If you hadn't become a professional poker player, what direction do you think your life would have gone?
I would still be married and doting on grandchildren. I wouldn't have any books out because I wouldn't have anything to write about! I was first published when I wrote about my first poker tournament win titled, "A Lady's Not Supposed to Sweat" in 1986.

Among the books you've written is '1000 Best Poker Strategies and Secrets'. Were you ever worried when this was published that people would use your own ideas to beat you?
They do! But I make it back on book sales!

What advice would you give to someone hoping to make a living out of the game?
Have a real job to make your monthly nut! Only if you have tremendous money management skills should you consider going full time into poker and only if you have won a million or more.

- Susie maintains a website at SusieIsaacs.com.