Tiffany Michelle Biography

One could say that Tiffany was born to perform, having been born and raised in Los Angeles. At just ten years old, the rising star fell in love with the theatre, winning her first award as the Lancaster Performing Art's Center "Best Young Performer". She continued to dazzle audiences on every stage she stepped onto; from sharing her music at singer/songwriter venues, to winning beauty pageant titles and nabbing trophies for her Dramatic & Prose Interpretation performances on the college Speech & Debate team. The seemingly endless list of first-place prizes and awards recognizing Michelle's excellence are a direct reflection of her flare for creativity, performing arts and healthy competition.

After completing a two-year theatre program as well as studying at UCLA's Film & Television Department Tiffany made the transition from acting on stage to the screen where she began booking roles in major motion pictures as well as appearing in several TV shows including ER and American Dreams. Some Hollywood actresses wait tables between acting gigs. Tiffany Michelle opted for a table of a different kind to pay the bills when sandwiched between "that's a wrap" and "quiet on set" - the poker table. She discovered that she had a natural knack for Texas Hold'em after frequenting a weekly Hollywood house game with fellow actors. Tiffany found that there was serious money to be made and it wasn't long till she carved out a name for herself, "Hot Chips", because of her role as the hottest young female in the poker community. The poker world took notice of the attractive, twenty-something girl, holding her own in a male dominated game as well as her knowledge and fun personality when stepping in front of the camera as a poker host. In 2006, she was heard nationwide as an on-air host and commentator for the World Series of Poker coverage on Sirius Satellite Radio. In 2007, she became the first ever female on-camera host for PokerNews and spent the following year and a half traveling internationally, hosting tournaments for the World Series of Poker, European Poker Tour and the World Poker Tour.

Fast forward to the 2008 World Series of Poker where Tiffany would once again find herself in front of the cameras for the performance of a lifetime. As the last female player left standing in the Main Event, Tiffany Michelle outperformed her way to an unbelieveable 17th place finish out of 6,844 players, securing a very nice $334,534 paycheck and breaking records for the largest field ever conquered by a woman in live poker tournament history which instantly skyrocketed her to Poker Celebrity status.

Currently, Tiffany Michelle resides in Los Angeles and balances the busy life of performer and professional poker player, as well as the most recent title added to her resume, "clothing designer" with the launch of her own clothing line in 2009. You'll also recognize Tiffany from shows such as: The World Series of Blackjack, LA Ink and season 15 of The Amazing Race.

How old are you?
25

Where do you live now?
Los Angeles, CA

What did you do before you became a professional poker player?
Acting, music, hosting, massage therapy

What are your hobbies?
Napping, writing, watching movies, reading, going to sporting events, playing piano & guitar, songwriting & composing music, playing games, snow & water skiing, being creative.

How did you become a professional poker pro?
I think people have different ideas about what "professional poker pro" means. Obviously my run in the 2008 WSOP Main Event put me on the map in the professional poker world and gave me the title of "poker pro" world but I had been playing for the two years prior and paying my bills playing poker as a profession.

If you had to play poker against five famous opponents (dead and alive) who would they be and why?

• My grandfather (who passed away in 2006) - Because he taught me how to play when I was just a kid and I'd love for him to see where my game is now.
• Eddie Izzard - Because he's insanely intelligent and I think he'd be entertaining and make me laugh the entire time.
• Steven Spielberg - Maybe if we sat a table together and I impressed him with my poker skills and personality he'd cast me in one of his films!
• Tiger Woods – I don't know why but he's one of my favorite sports figures and it'd be fun to hang out and play poker with him.
• Kristin Chenoweth - I have mad respect for her talent and she's just a lil ball of sunshine. I think she'd lighten up a stressful game and make it very fun.
• Tiger Woods - I don't know why but he's one of my favorite sports figures and it'd be fun to hang out and play poker with him.

What top three tips would you give to amateur poker players hoping to make it as a poker professional?

• Do your homework! There's MUCH more to poker than just getting lucky.
• Learn Patience! You have to spend a lot of hours sitting at the table & waiting for hands.
• Be Disciplined! It's pertinent that you are able to control your bankroll, emotions, lifestyle and habits when thrown into the crazy world of poker and gambling.

Where and when did you make your first significant cash win? And how much was it for?
Prior to my 17th place finish in the 2008 WSOP Main Event (obviously the most significant to date) I'd say my most significant cash was in 2005 when I won the very first tournament I ever played at Harrah's. It was a small buy-in tournament and I only won about $2,000 but that was good money for me at the time and it was the start of my love for playing tournaments and what really propelled me into playing.

What do you think you'll be doing in 20 years time?
I would love to have a family and kids. Ideally I'd like to have a production company and music label where I could write, produce and perform in my own projects.

What has been your most embarrassing moment and funniest?
One time David Sutcliffe joined our weekly cash game and I went to the kitchen to get drinks for the table and attempted to open his bottle of Perrier with a wine opener (I thought was an alcoholic beverage). I'll never forget the look on his face as he stared at me like I was insane and then motioned with his hands for me to simply TWIST the cap off.

As people found out at this year's WSOP Main event you are a new up and coming poker super talent. What a lot of people may not know is your first super talent is Acting and Singing/songwriting. How does being an actress help your poker career, and potentially poker help your acting career?

Well, these days poker is getting the attention and spotlight of Hollywood so my comfort level on a stage, under the lights and on camera definitely gives me an edge when that can tend to be a distracting and foreign element for regular card players.

As an actor a big part of your job is observation, watching people, behaviors and even adopting certain mannerisms yourself when getting ready for a role. This makes picking up and giving out reads at the poker table pretty easy for me because I'm very in touch with understanding people's motivations and what it means when they act a certain way.

Also for media and marketing purposes it's important to have a good personality in poker if you want to capitalize on opportunities outside of just tournament play. So even when I'm away from the tables I'm very personable, well spoken and comfortable doing interviews and all the other media stuff that comes along with being a poker player.

Best big buy-in poker tournament location?
Aruba is, by far the best location I've been for a poker tournament so far but if it has to be gauged by a 'big' buyin tourney then Monte Carlo... that place is so beautiful, classy... and EXPENSIVE! It feels like you're in a James Bond movie.

You came up quick in the poker scene. What is the best way for an up and comer to get good at the game?
In my opinion, practical experience in poker is one of the best instructors. You have GOT to know the fundamentals and mathematics of the game but unless you're comfortable at a table, familiar with the rhythm of a live game, handling chips, controlling your emotions and reading players, etc., then all the book knowledge you've obtained isn't going to matter.

You won the Miss Teenage California Congeniality Award. Was the movie Miss Congeniality starring Sandra Bullock like the real thing? Minus the undercover aspect of course :)?
Ha ha, there are some similarities to the movie. The pageant scene definitely has some interesting characters like in the movie. A few of the pageant tricks they used (Vaseline on teeth, glue spray on the butt for the swim suit) are totally legit as well. Fortunately I've never had to worry about bombs exploding when doing my catwalk!

Being added to such a growing talented team at UB with the likes of Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth and Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josphey, what does it mean to you?
Having a deal with a poker website has been a long time goal of mine so I am totally excited to join UB, it's a dream come true! UB truly feels like a small, tight-knit family and even with the heavyweights of Phil and Annie I've been welcomed with open arms and have received so much respect and attention. I am humbled to be joining the team and can only hope to develop the kind of poker career, resume and success that the other pros have.

Where can players find you playing on UB?
EVERYWHERE! I love tournaments; everything from a $10 buy-in to the Sunday 200k tourney. And you'll definitely find me splashin' around at the NL Low limit tables; 1-2, 2-4, 3-6... we have a lot of fun.

What is your favorite tournament on UB?
The bounty tournaments are always fun because even if you don't cash in the event, every time you collect a bounty feels like you're winning something. I also love the deep stack tournaments. I'm a big fan of deep stack play.

How important is it to you to learn other games outside of NLHE?
When you first get into poker you'll realize very quickly that if you want a long and successful career you'll need to play all the games, plus NLH can get a little boring after awhile. I've started playing the other games over the last year and I'm really enjoying the challenge. When NLH gets exhausting it's nice to take a break and use a different part of your brain playing H.O.R.S.E.

Someone you know isn't sure if they want to go to the Aruba Poker Classic. What do you tell them?
Is telling them, "You're stupid!" too harsh?!?! I'd say, "Listen, if you don't like perfect weather, lounging all day on a beach, an unlimited supply of tasty blended alcoholic beverages, jet skiing, boat cruising, women walking around in bikinis, a soft field for playing poker, and being surrounded by people who are all in a great mood then Aruba is not for you. If it is, hop in my suitcase, we're headed to paradise!!!"

What is next for Tiffany Michelle?
A Presidential Campaign?!? Nah, I'll leave that to Barack Obama! Well, I'll definitely be playing a little more poker over the next year and I have some cool new TV projects coming up. I'm also hoping to get into the recording studio and record some new tracks soon and I could probably squeeze in time for a series regular role on Heroes if it was offered to me, hee hee. Basically the same-o same-o, juggling the hats of an actor, musician and poker player. www.tiffanymichelle.com has all the updates on the exciting things I'm up to.