WPA Spotlight – Jeanne David
Former Head of Responsible Gaming for PokerStars, now Jeanne is respectfully known as the “lady in charge of mixed games” in Las Vegas. She is definitely the go-to person if you want to know what mixed games are being offered and where!
1. What is your name? Jeanne David
2. Where are you from? Yonkers, New York
3. How did you get introduced to the game of poker? I was 7 years old when I learned how to play from my grandpa. He took all my pennies. By the time I was in my 20’s I was playing regularly in home games. But my 1st casino experience was in the early 90’s in Atlantic City. Once I discovered poker in casinos, I would drive 3.5 hours every weekend to play. Sometimes I would leave my job around noon on Friday and tell my colleagues I was going to lunch. They would yell “Good Luck!” on my way out… They knew I wasn’t coming back from lunch!
4. Tell us about an unusual or unique experience that you’ve had while playing poker. I’ve had a lot in the past 26 + years, but the most unusual happened to be in the last WSOP (2021), when a dealer in the $1500 Stud8 tourney lost it, got up and forcefully threw the cards across the table, pushed his chair out, and stormed off! There were cards everywhere – all over the table, all over the floor – the 5 seat at the table behind us was in a middle of a hand when 5 cards fell in his lap out of no where! The entire section of the pavilion stood up and a few yelled from across the room “Jeanne! What did you do??” (I swear I had nothing to do with his outburst!) Amazingly, the floor handled the situation like a pro – swiftly got another dealer in the box, picked up the cards from the floor with everyone’s help, declared the hand dead, and split the pot between the three of us left. We no longer had any cards in front of us as the force of the deck being hurled everywhere blew the cards right off the table!
5. How would you describe your poker style/play? Any specific poker experience you are most proud of? What is your favorite poker game to play and why? I like to change it up a bit, depending on the game. I mostly play mixed “limit” tournaments so splashing around a bit in the beginning (loose/aggro) isn’t putting my stack in jeopardy. The key for me is knowing when to change gears when that style isn’t working,. My favorite game is HORSE or any variant of that. My poker experience I am most proud of is making a final table in the $1500 WSOP Razz event in 2018.
6. What were some of the unexpected hurdles that you have experienced in poker? How are you overcoming those? The one thing that comes to mind is my own emotions. I love poker. I love the passion I have for playing the game. I never take anything too seriously and like to have fun when I play! So when I encounter a mean spirited player, or someone who is cruel, it does throw me off my game. I put on my headphones and hope they bust quickly, as headphones deter me from missing out on some key information mixed players love to give. (“Oh, I had 2 outs that’s why I stayed in”)
7. Who is the most difficult player that you have ever competed against? How was that experience? There is no single player I could name – but the most difficult players for me to play against are beginners (love them though!) Especially in mixed games, its hard to know what they are betting with or what they have, because all too often, they don’t even know what they have! You think you are thrilled when you realize you have a beginner at your table, until you are taking the walk of shame, and that person took all your chips! So I try and approach them with caution.
8. Looking back at where you were when you started your poker journey; how has your game evolved and what are your poker goals going forward? The way my game has evolved is by absorbing as much information as I could. I read a ton of poker books when I first started out; All the card player articles on game theory for years, and still read online material about poker. I also stopped ‘trying’ to love no-limit poker. I do play no limit tournaments occasionally, but my passion is mixed games. I thought for a long time I have to play no limit but I finally realized… no, I don’t. I just play what I love… Omaha 8, Horse, 8-Game, & Stud variants. My poker goal going forward is always to get that WSOP bracelet. I play a lot of WSOP events and look forward to that every year.
9. What is your favorite hobby or passion outside of poker? Wait – You mean there are actual hobbies other than poker? I love meeting up with friends, having good meals, seeing a good movie, going to shows, Golden Knight hockey games, Rodeos, and all that my home town Vegas has to offer!
10. What are your plans for poker in the future, if any at all? I retired in 2020 after working as the head of responsible gaming for PokerStars for nearly 15 years. I planned to travel around the country and play in different series events – then 2 months later COVID happened. So everything has been put on hold. I am looking forward to carry on with my retirement plan! And if course it is always to get that WSOP bracelet. I play a lot of WSOP events and look forward to that every year.