Meet Jennifer Harman - Part I

In 1998, I was at the World Series of Poker, grinding away trying to scrape up the buy-ins for the tournaments, when I had a chance to meet a very special person – Jennifer Harman.

At 5 feet 2 inches tall and barely 100 pounds, Jennifer isn't exactly the most intimidating poker player you'll ever come across, but after you play a few hours with her (if your money lasts that long), you'll find that she is as ferocious as a lion at the poker table.

These days, she can regularly be found playing in the biggest live-action game in the world at Bellagio in Las Vegas. She plays up to $3,000-$6,000 with the likes of the legendary Chip Reese and Doyle Brunson.

As I'm writing this column, though, she is probably down at Binion's Horseshoe playing in the WSOP. Although she doesn't play many tournaments, she has had some success over the years at the WSOP. Amazingly, she won the prestigious deuce-to-seven no-limit draw title at the WSOP in 2000, overcoming a huge chip deficit heads up against prohibitive favorite Lyle Berman. That wasn't the amazing part, though. She won that title having never played the game before! Talk about a natural.

In my opinion, she is without a doubt the best female poker player on the planet, but that's not a fair title at all. She is also one of the best all-around players in the world – period!

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to Jennifer at the Horseshoe about poker and life in general. I thought it would be nice to share with you some of what she had to say. So, without further ado, meet my friend and poker teacher, Jennifer Harman.

Daniel Negreanu: Jennifer, how and when exactly did you get into poker?

Jennifer Harman: When I was about 8 years old, my dad and his friends used to play at the house, and I always watched. Sometimes when he was losing two or three hundred, he'd put me in the game to get him even. Actually, I usually did get him even.

DN: So, you were a professional poker player at the age of 8!

JH: No, of course not. I probably didn't officially start playing poker for a living until I was about 21. Before that, I worked odd jobs, mostly as a cocktail waitress. I loved poker so much, though, that I thought I would give it a shot. Back then, I played mostly $10-$20, and a little later moved up to $20-$40 and $30-$60.

DN: How do you go from playing $10-$20 to $3,000-$6,000?

JH: Well, it didn't happen overnight. I spent about seven years playing $20-$40, and no higher than $50-$100, then about another eight years floating from $75-$150 to $200-$400. I'd build my bankroll and take shots at the bigger games. When I'd lose, I'd go back down in limits. It was a cycle that lasted a long time, but I'm happy with the way things turned out, I guess.

DN: I'll say. So you've been playing poker for quite a while. You look 17; do you mind my asking how old you are?

JH: 23 (smiling). Actually, I do get carded from time to time, which is embarrassing. Not too long ago I went to the store with my niece to buy some beer, and forgot my ID. They wouldn't sell it to me, so I had to let my niece buy the beer for us. It was pretty embarrassing.

DN: Has poker been your only source of income since you were 21?

JH: Yes. Actually, I also built my bankroll by investing at a young age, and throughout my poker career. Even when I was cocktailing, I was investing. In 1998, a few of my long-term investments matured, so my bankroll became a lot healthier.

DN: Along the way to becoming a successful player, did you ever go broke?

JH: Kind of. I had one losing year in poker back in 1993. It was a tough time for me. My life was going through some changes, and I guess they affected my focus at the poker table. I didn't go totally broke, but close enough. I was playing $50-$100 hold'em at the Mirage at the time, so just to be safe, I borrowed $50,000 from a friend so that I had an adequate bankroll to continue playing in that game. I started to do much better after that, and paid the loan off pretty quickly. Since then, I haven't had to worry much about my bankroll. I've always tried to stick to limits I can afford.

DN: Must be nice. How often do you play poker these days?

JH: Not as often as I did when I was building my bankroll, but I like to play three or four days a week. I still enjoy playing the game very much. If I ever got to a point where I didn't like playing anymore, I don't think I would play. I don't think that'll ever happen, though.

DN: Why not?

JH: Because I still learn something new every day. I enjoy the challenge of playing with the best. It's a constant learning experience. I make mistakes, but as long as I learn something from those mistakes, they can actually be good for me. Of course, when I do make a mistake in a hand, though, my immediate reaction is to go nuts! I'm pretty tough on myself when it comes to things like that. I guess I'm a perfectionist when it comes to poker. The hard part is realizing that it's a game that you can never play perfectly.

In Part II next issue, Jennifer will talk a little bit about married life, being a woman in poker, and much, much more.

Daniel can be reached through his website at www.fullcontactpoker.com. You also can find past articles there, as well as some other features that should be updated shortly.