Annie Duke: Mom, Professional Poker Player, And Newest ‘Celebrity Apprentice’
February 5, 2009 @ 10:32 am
Written by The Fashionable Housewife
I wanted to take a moment to tell you ladies about a really inspiring woman…
Annie Duke is one of the newest contestants on NBC’S highly rated show Celebrity Apprentice. Duke, is a single mom and jack of all trades who is known as the world’s most successful female poker player! She spends 16-20 hours at a poker table making a living. Annie has recently explored various business adventures and projects all while being a full time mom of four children and health fanatic. Wow!
Duke, who gave birth to three of her children at home in her own bed, plans out 15 and 19 mile runs with her running partner. She plans her runs on a daily basis and has actually lost over 20 pounds due to her extensive training which includes Bikram Yoga. Annie is a Yoga fanatic and actually commits to practicing this type of Yoga everyday in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%.
Being an Ivy League graduate that was pursuing a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology, Duke never thought she would ever train for a marathon, practice one of the most controversial types of Yoga, let alone cook up the latest dinner recipes of Vegan foods for her children.
Duke often took a lot of criticism for her career choice; however, she has always come out ahead financially and professionally. Poker has allowed her to really be there for her kids when she isn’t traveling and still have a job that she is passionate about.
Duke wrote her first book ‘How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and Won Millions-and You Can Too
’ in 2005 as well as released a series of Poker DVDS. She is now in the process of writing her second book on decision making and has developed her own production company Ten Dimes Productions, which she started with Actor Joe Reitman. She is also involved in various charitable organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ante Up for Africa (a project with Actor Don Cheadle, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck), The Children’s Hospital and The Decision Education Foundation.
Recently, Annie has been featured in Runners World, Forbes.com, LA Times, New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, People Magazine, In-Touch Weekly as well as late night shows, David Letterman, Jay Leno and celebrity appearances on Deal or No Deal and One vs 100.
Are you interested in hearing more about Annie? Tell us!
About the Author: The Fashionable Housewife
I don’t want to hear anything about her…she is obnoxious as as….
She talks so much about herself that the air is full of her “I”s. She is so cocky,
I love annie duke, I think she should have won the C A. Donald Trump is the stupid one. Annie as far as I am cioncerned is a class act. Joan Rivers is an ignorant dump nasty old women. Annie has done more for this worls and her charities in her young life, then that old broad has done in 75 years. rivers looks like a nut case with all the face lifts. I do not know what trumpie was thinking, rivers is a disgrace. Her daughters is a spoiled jewish princess, I will not buy a single item Rivers from QVC. nor will i recommand it to anyone. It was alright for her to say all those nasty things to Annie, while Annie stayed professional . and stupid trump still pick the old bag. is he on drugs. ? Give us more on Annie….. she is great…..
If you have ever worked for a large corporation, you see right through Annie. She is the epitome of what is wrong with corporate America. It is all about her, but she pretends it is about her charity in this case. She is evasive, says all the “right things” in the board room and is a different person outside of the board room without simple honesty and ethics. You may not like Joan’s tactics, but she is genuine and ethical and honest and that is what more corporations need, someone who isn’t afraid to call players on their BS. I think Joan was great. And I think it sent a message about who she is and I believe Donald saw right through Annie’s BS despite her fantastic work. It is more than just raising the money but how you do it and how people are treated in the process. More companies should have the you know what to recognize BS for what it is an don’t reward it for the all mighty dollar. Because a decent person can do both.
Sorry, I really do not know what I am talking about. I can only repeat what Joan said and not come up with any proof to back it or make my own decisions. Joan was out of her league which is why they had to change up the criteria for the last task. Joan could not compete against Annie intellectually and therefore resorted to nasty hateful and racial comments. As far as I am concerned I should be with Joan where we can talk shit to each other and feel right at home. I would eat her out if she would let me.