Nancy Todd Tyner: Not Your Average Poker Player

In my last column, Nancy Todd Tyner, winner of the WPT Ladies Championship, discussed her amazing career as a political consultant and her role in international politics. In this column, she'll discuss her poker career.

Linda Johnson: Let's talk about the WPT Ladies Championship. What was your game plan going into the first day of the tournament?

Nancy Todd Tyner: My game plan is the same every time I sit down: spend time observing the styles of my opponents, figure out why they're playing a hand, and then use that information to make good, solid decisions.

LJ: Describe the experience of playing at the televised WPT final table.

NTT: The experience was great, and the level of play was a real challenge. I don't think you can prepare yourself for the differences you experience the first time at a televised final table: the lights, the cameras, the television timeouts, and remembering to show your cards to the holecard camera. Plus, there is that little detail of playing in front of millions of people for a lot of money. My usual poker stance of covering my mouth wasn't possible with the table being so high. I struggled with my chips on the slippery white surface for a while. I also had trouble staying seated when I was in a big hand. I believe at one time that you had to remind me that I was blocking one of the cameras. Although it took some adjustment, it was a great experience altogether.

LJ: What do you plan to do with the prize money?

NTT: Last year, I started a 501c3 national scholarship fund called The Hayden Scholarship Foundation, in my son Hayden's name, which was seeded by his college monies that we had put away for Stanford. I know he would want those funds to be used to help other worthy students obtain an education. My poker winnings go into that fund. I serve as chairman of the board of the fund, and many well-known political colleagues serve with me.

LJ: How has your life changed since you won the WPT Ladies Championship?

NTT: I love that the WPT bracelet gets respect. At least I begin now with others presuming that I know a little something about the game, which was not how I was treated when I first started. I was in a big pot the other day with a stare-down by my opponent, who finally said, "Lady, you don't scare me, but that bracelet sure does." I waited for him to fold before I burst out laughing.

LJ: What policy or rule would you like to see changed in the poker world?

NTT: I'd like to see the end of irrational laws that penalize and persecute poker players. Seventy million Americans play poker, including most elected leaders and judges, in my experience, yet American laws on the game are schizophrenic. Local law enforcement agencies are still out there trying to make headlines by wasting millions of taxpayer dollars raiding low-stakes games at Elks Clubs around the country. The federal approach to online poker is even worse; instead of recognizing that millions of Americans play, and that both players and taxpayers could benefit from policies that legalize, regulate, and tax online poker, too many politicians pander to the opponents of online poker. With smart, active player organizations like Poker Voters of America and the Poker Players Alliance supporting elected leaders like congressmen Barney Frank and Robert Wexler, that will change. The change needs to happen sooner versus later.

Personally, if I was consulting on one of the presidential races, I would use legalizing, regulating, and taxing online poker as a tremendous avenue to help bail us out of the financial mess we are in as a nation. As it stands right now, all of that revenue is going outside the country and helping a select few.

LJ: What do you think you will be doing in five years?

NTT: I would like to have a parallel career - just as successful as my day job - as a poker professional. I'd like to pick and choose the events I play on the tournament circuit and continue to dedicate my winnings to supplement the funding of The Hayden Scholarship. I hope that success will give me an even better platform for continuing to tackle the racket we call cancer treatment in this country, and for continuing to fight for the rights of patients to be treated like human beings, with dignity and not at the mercy of money-driven protocols.

LJ: I've heard rumors that you are working on some poker projects. Can you tell us about them?

NTT: Since I've been playing poker, I've started two new poker-related businesses with another poker player, Dee Dee Cole. One is Poker JetSetters International, which allows players to track tournaments, keep one massive calendar for your life, register online, and keep track of wins and losses, something that is very difficult to do in one place now. The other sprang from being stranded out of the country and unable to access funds, which made me so mad that I developed a virtual ATM (JetsetterCashCard.com) from which you can load your own funds on a card to draw from at any ATM around the world. We're working now to get casinos to come on board so that players will not have to register in cash and winnings will be returned to the card. This JetSetter Cash Card will be a benefit offered through Poker JetSetters.

LJ: I'm sure you will be very successful with these ventures. Is there anything else you would like to say in closing?

NTT: I'm honored to be a part of expanding the visible role of women in promoting poker and pushing forward along the path blazed by people like Barbara Enright, Kathy Leibert, Annie Duke, you, and many others. I want to see more women playing and more women winning. All poker players, men and women, online and live, need to be active in political efforts to protect our right to play. Get out there, register to vote, and then cast your ballot for candidates who support your right to play.

LJ: Nancy, thanks for the extremely interesting interview, and good luck in your future ventures.

Now, let's play poker.

Linda is available to host poker events, seminars, and corporate nights. You can contact her through her website at www.cardplayercruises.com.