Johnson, Sexton & others to hold May poker seminar in Santa Rosa

Linda Johnson, the “First Lady of Poker” will be presenting a one-day no-limit Hold’em seminar on May 8, 2010 at the Fountaingrove Inn in Santa Rosa. Also appearing will be Mike Sexton, the “Ambassador of Poker” who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Nov. 9, 2009.

Sexton was introduced by Doyle Brun­son at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony where he received a standing ovation from major poker players and celebrities. In addition, Jan Fisher, a well regarded author, teacher, poker professional, and partner in CardPlayer Cruises will also instruct at the poker strategy session. Tickets can be purchased at WineCountryPoker.com.

Johnson started playing poker in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. At the time, she was one of few women active in the game. She became so successful that she moved from Southern California to Las Vegas in 1980. She played professionally for the next 12 years, and unlike many pros, she has never gone broke!

In 1992 Johnson and some friends embarked on the first CardPlayer poker cruise. She enjoyed it so much she decided she would never miss one ever again. She soon learned that CardPlayer Magazine was for sale, so she and some friends became the new owners.

They turned the magazine from a 68-page black and white newsprint publication into a 132-page, full-color glossy magazine.

She was instrumental in helping to establish the World Poker Industry Conference, the World Poker Players’ Conference, and the Tournament Directors Association. When Johnson retired as publisher of CardPlayer Magazine in 2000, she and several friends purchased CardPlayer Cruises. Through CardPlayer Cruises, Johnson has hosted trips all over the world and taught poker to thousands of enthusiastic players.

Johnson and Sexton teamed up with Steve Lipscomb, Lyle Berman, and a few others to form the World Poker Tour (WPT). For the first six years, Linda served as the studio announcer. A memorable and humorous incident during her time as a studio announcer occurred when Doyle Brunson arrived at a major poker event with another gentlemen and she only introduced Brunson. When they departed after five minutes, she learned that the other gentleman was none other than the famous actor Robert Duvall!

Johnson has been very successful as a card player in her own right, winning a World Series of Poker bracelet in 1997. She was only the second woman to accomplish such a feat at that time. Johnson was also the 2005 California Ladies Poker champion, finished second in the WPT Ladies Invitational, and has had victories and final table finishes in major tournaments around the country.

There were very few other women playing poker when she began playing. Often, the behavior at poker tables was slightly rough and incorporated actions such as swearing, throwing cards, and displaying hostility toward other players and dealers. Johnson was instrumental in establishing and organizing industry guidelines through organizations such as the World Poker Industry Conference, the World Poker Players Conference, and the Tournament Directors Association. Incidentally, the Tournament Directors Association is an organization that to this day organizes and oversees rules standards for large tournaments such as the WPT.

Johnson has been a strong proponent of no-abuse policies in cardrooms and has always behaved with the utmost respect for the game, her fellow players, and the dealers.

Along with Sexton, Fisher and Lisa Tenner, Johnson has also helped to create the Poker Gives Foundation, which contributes to various charities such as the Special Olympics, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. The founders receive no compensation and the goal is to spend less than five percent of the foundation’s funds for overhead costs.

Johnson says she has three main goals when she plays poker: to make money, to have fun, and to make sure everyone at the table has fun. She loves the social aspect of poker and thinks that over time you get to know people in the poker room you frequent and they actually become like family to you.

She believes poker is as popular as it has ever been. Poker players are perceived differently now and have gained a measure of respect that they lacked in the past. She is amused that her mailman speaks to her about Phil Ivey and her hairdresser knows which players are doing well. Poker players are becoming like rock stars and mingling with movie stars, and the movie stars are even asking for poker players’ autographs. It makes her proud to be a poker player and to see that poker has gone from being perceived as a less than honorable endeavor to a respected profession that takes great skill, courage, and knowledge to succeed.