Just who is this hot Poker babe?
For those who are not in the
know, this babe is a successful
actress and also one of the
hottest and greatest Poker
players you will ever meet.

Born on September 7, 1973 in
Houston, Texas, Shannon
Elizabeth Fadal was a cheerleader
and an aspiring professional tennis
player who used to work hard for her sport until she landed a role in a music video that was shot locally. She used that as a motivation and began a modeling career which in turn led to acting jobs on television shows like “Hang Time” and “Arli$$”. Because she did best in portraying these roles, she was chosen to be Nadia in the movie “American Pie”. In addition, she made 35 more films and television appearances in the past years. With all these achievements she had, people consider her a well-seasoned veteran in the showbiz industry.

Similar to other Poker players, Shannon ventured into the world of Poker at an early age by playing games such as 7 card stud with her family as a past time. When Poker was booming and there was a rise in the popularity of televised Poker Tournaments, Shannon got to know the game of Texas Hold’em.

Akin to other Poker celebrities, Shannon had to adopt Poker mentors to help tweak her game and teach her the subtle nuances of the game which led her to play with a proficient and seasoned style that was able to stand up to the best of competitors.

Now that she is already proficient, Shannon found herself playing Poker more often.

She got in the 2005 Main Event at the World Series of Poker with Daniel Negreanu as her guardian.

Since she is said to have a lot of victories in 2006- for instance, she was a sixth placer at the Las Vegas Poker Invitational, Shannon proclaimed a new career as a devoted Texas Hold’em player.

Shannon also finished 3rd in the NBC National Heads-Up Championship in 2007 and won $125,000.

One Poker site said she also stars alongside Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson and Poker hall-of-famer, Doyle Brunson in an improvisational Poker comedy called “The Grand”. I actually met with one of the producers of the movie back in 2005 so he could pick my brain about being a female in a predominately male industry. He was looking to “round out the female character”. His original email described the movie as “a factious improv comedy in the vain of Christopher Guest’s film Best in Show is the best way to describe it.” I get many emails talking about projects and it’s nice to see one that has come to fruition. It’s even nicer to see some big names including Shannon involved in the project.

It is also said that Online Poker room, Full Tilt once had a sponsorship agreement with Shannon.

Just recently, Poker Reviews said that Shannon joined Doyles’ Poker Room.

Though the Poker arena is
mostly dominated by male
players, another woman,
nicknamed Poker Diva due to
her flair for style, proved the
whole world that she can take
down whoever she likes in the
name of Poker.

Everybody knows that women
must make unusual efforts to
succeed in a gaming community
of mostly males. It seems that
women are judged differently to
show that they can really handle
the game.

Liz Lieu having well versed in
Poker has proven everyone that she is a fierce lioness who is always ready to kill the best of the best whether it be male or otherwise. Being a reputable cash game player, not to mention her growing resume of tournament finishes, she has mastered the environment that she’s destined to overcome.

Though she has Viatnamese roots, her family moved to the United States just a year after she was born. Lieu was raised in Colorado while her folks worked hard to give her and her sister the best life possible. Even though her parents were strict about good education, Lieu showed no sign of interest in doing daily homework.

At an early age, Lieu was already fond of playing cards, specifically Chinese Poker. By the time her 18th birthday came, she had already mastered playing cards and had begun running her own home game. Being a businesswoman at heart, Lieu and her friend built a game in Colorado focusing on Hold’em and Pai Gow. This marked the beginning of her rewarding journey within the realm of high states Poker.

An unfortunate tragedy struck her family around the time when she was harnessing her Poker potential. Lieu’s father suffered from heart attack. Thinking that this is a personal challenge, she decided to give up everything and focus more on playing cards so she can help her family pass the struggle they were facing.

Lieu went to Las Vegas and took her bankroll at higher level. She started making progress and eventually started playing $200-400 and beyond. Just like most Poker success stories, Lieu had to go through a number of hurdles. She got involved in personal relationships that lost her bankroll and had to start over again. It was a good thing that she had the support of her bestfriend, John Phan a professional player, who guided her so she could regain her strength. Listening to his advice, and having found a new motivation and determination to play, she began to own thePoker scene again.

Her strength to not give up and instead continue what she had started defines Lieu’s character. Continuously rising through the upper levels of the cash game world, many had suggested that she add tournaments to her growing repertoire. She entered her first major event at the 2005 WSOP and cashed three times, which included one final table giving her a 5th place and a pay day of $168,000, in the $1500 no limit Hold’em event.

Along with her other achievements, Lieu has many interests and projects. Inspired by people such as Barry Greenstein, Lieu, together with John Phan, built and led a foundation to help the poor in Vietnam. They regularly travel home bringing rice and food supplies to villages, children’s orphanages, elderly homes and about 60 different temples.

In mid 2005, some revealing (but not x-rated)
photo’s of Jennifer Leigh “Jennicide” were leaked
and caused her internet popularity to go up
10-fold; now after placing 42nd out of 724 players
in a 2006 World Poker Tour tournament, Jennicide
has been unstoppable that she even bagged
her very own Playboy Spread.

After realizing that her leaked web-cam
photo’s were actually a blessing in disguise,
Jennicide went into self promotion overload
and caught the attention of Hefner’s company.
Jennicide gave SheKnows exclusive insight to her
Playboy sizzling shots.

SheKnows (SK): How did you get into poker?

Jennifer Leigh (JL): I’m a nerd. I’m one of the nerdiest girls I’ve ever met. Early on at a very young age, I was always playing on the computer. So I had this computer literacy behind me and I eventually ventured into areas like hacking, gaming, Everquest, World of Warcraft, and hardcore Raiding Guild. I’m a hardcore raider, always trying to get into the Black Temple, and the Wrath of Lich Kings. Nobody ever believes I’m a poker player and a gamer on World of Warcraft.

I was a pre-law major at the University of Delaware and wanted to be the star of the courtroom. But then I found my new obsession. Robert Boyd, poker champion Dutch Boyd’s brother, was a good friend. He said I should try out this online tournament. It was only a $5 pay in. This was the worst move for an adrenaline junky. I was soon the new female player on the scene dominating online tournaments. I was soon entering larger and larger tournaments.

SK: Strategy-based online games like Magic the Gathering have turned out some of the new breed of poker player. Do you think your online gaming background influenced your poker career?

JL: Oh yea. Tons of great players have come from Magic the Gathering. David Williams, Ali Eslami, The Keller Brothers, MadCaddy, Jon Murphy, and Scott Dove, to name a few, are all great players. In online gaming, you have to learn how to personalize the experience and realize that the chip desensitizes you from thinking about being real money. Overall though, games like Magic have contributed greatly. It’s sick.

SK: You are not only a successful tourney player, but you’re also a successful cash game player. Which do you prefer to play and why?

JL: Demographically, you have your random players who get very lucky and they win their big tournaments with very large buy ins, like the World Series of poker The field consists of 7,000 to 10,000 players and it’s like buying a $10,000 lottery ticket, it’s a crap shoot generally.

Tournaments are the gratification, the glory. You win a tournament and you feel like you conquered. You just beat a field of however many players and you played your “A” game, your best game. A lot of different elements of the game come into play like luck, variation and changing your pace. Like a video game, it’s your final boss and you’re preparing to down the boss.

Cash games are more consistent. As a professional cash game player, you set yourself on a very meticulous budget, more management of yourself and your money. I prefer cash games — they made me my living. Heads Up play is personal gratification because I’m so aggressive, like a warrior you could say. Having an opponent heads up with you and beating them is something that feels really good when you’re done.

SK: What do you consider your greatest moment?

JL: I did Playboy last year. This is going to be real big. It’ll be a six-page pictorial coming out beginning of April. Coming from a small town in Delaware, it’s HUGE. It’s very hard to grasp coming from one end of the spectrum to the other — from a $5 tournament to this!

SK: Did you enjoy posing for Playboy?

JL: I liked working with the cast and crew the best. I never thought I’d do it. It took a lot of confidence and talking to my parents. They weren’t too sure of it. They looked at it as an issue of moral. But a woman is beautiful on the inside and out. To tell you the truth, the more you can become one with your body the better. I have hips and breasts and don’t try to use it — but I can and that’s OK. Posing in Playboy allowed a platform for me to show women that it’s possible to be a staple in poker and we’re not going anywhere.

SK: How did your parents react to your posing in Playboy?

JL: Believe it or not, my dad was prouder than my mom, although, my mom came on the shoot with me. The shoot was very professional but it was a very long process. But it was an eye-opener for me. You walk into the Playboy studio, you see Marilyn Monroe, and you think to yourself, “I’m here and they’re photographing me … this is amazing!” I think the human body is beautiful. Posing made me feel more confident about myself as well.

SK: Who would you say is your role model?

JL: Jennifer Harman is one of my biggest role models just because she has been through so many health issues and life struggles and is still noticed as not only one of the best female players, but one of the BEST players in the world. That’s hard to do in the poker industry. “It’s a man’s world,” they say. I think of Harman when I’m at my low and running bad. I’m reminded that I’ll come out of it with a positive experience and survive.

SK: Do you consider yourself a role model for women?

JL: I won’t say I’ve been to Hell and back, but a lot of younger women have been through what I’ve been through. In general, you have to watch your back. In a perfect world, it’d be a very simple peaceful world, but they are very cruel people who can take advantage of you. So having your own self-awareness is important. Being someone with a positive outlook is a good role model for women and that’s what I try to do.

SK: Do you have any advice for players wanting to try their hand at poker ?

JL: It really depends on you and what attracts you to the game. For me, it’s competitiveness. When you’re completely known as a world-class poker player, there’s always room to find improvements. I tell women who are interested in poker to take anything you have done and been passionate about and take that energy and consume it into what you love and work with it. Do the best you can by using knowledge — which is power. Never be intimidated because of a specific gender.

SK: Does it ever get old having people adding “woman” to the term poker
player?

JL: I wish we’d get rid of that term. When talking about a female post deliverer, we don’t use the term “post woman.” We’re not aliens, we’re women. It’s very sensitive for some people. Tournaments are never classified by race or sexual preference, but it is classified by gender. All poker players are the same, although women are more intuitive then men.

SK: Who would you select to play at your “dream” table?
Ted Forrest
Phil Ivey
Jennifer Harman
Doyle Bruson
Phill Hellmuth
Vanessa Rouseau
Dan Harrington
Miami John Cernuto
Annie Duke
Daniel Negraneau
Mark Seif

SK: Any last word for your fans?

JL: I just want to thank everyone for their support. It’s going to be an amazing year!

If you still haven’t seen the pics of this poker player, just click on these links and it will take you directly to her. Take notice of how Playboy airbrushed her frontal area to look like she has the anatomy of a barbie doll.