Carmel Petresco was born in Romania in Eastern Europe and later moved to New York. She and her family traveled around a lot when she was a child. In her early years as an adult, she owned her own business as a personal wardrobe shopper and professional stylist. Yet poker always seemed to be her calling. She got into the game after one of her friends convinced her to try it out. Before that she watched her male friends play to learn the basics. She also read several books on poker, including the Bible of Poker, Doyle Brunson’s Super/System. She started playing online in small Sit N Go games until she had a decent-sized bankroll built up. After that she began to play in tournaments and lately has made the move to cash games. She has stated that moving around a lot as a kid helped her to adapt to new situations and that she has used that skill at the poker table.
Carmel Petresco Poker
Carmel Petresco played in her first live cash game soon after moving to Los Angeles. She had met a guy who invited her to a Wednesday-night poker game with he and some of his friends. Afraid that she would do poorly against seasoned players, she went to the game with some misgivings. It was all for naught. She cleaned house and quickly realized that she had what it took to be a professional player.
One of her first big tournaments was the 2004 Five-Diamond World Poker Classic II. At the $1,000 No Limit Hold’Em event, she came in ninth place. After that she finished in first place at the No Limit Hold’Em Summer Series. Then at the 2005 Legends of Poker she finished in fifth place in the $300 No Limit Hold’Em event. Carmel’s first breakout win to gain her attention was at the 2006 Heavenly Hold’Em tournament at the Commerce Casino. At that tournament’s $2,500 No Limit Hold’Em Championship event, Carmel came out of nowhere to take sixth place and win $19,775. Since then she has had cash finishes in the World Poker Tour World Championships and the World Series of Poker.
Carmel Petresco WSOP
At the 2008 World Series of Poker, she proved that she was not just a pretty face at the table. Her aggressive style of play paid off for her. At one point she was holding $80,000 chips while the average stack was around $19,000. As other female players began to drop out, the media began to focus on who would be the ‘last woman standing’. Although a favorite, she didn’t make it to the final table. Out of a field of over 6,000 entries, she ended with a respectable finish. Her skills at the cards and being a pretty face at the table gained her much attention.
Carmel has stated that she does not think being an attractive woman in a male-dominated sport carries any advantage. Being a woman at the table makes one a target for sexists remarks and rude behavior. Her opinion is that men naturally view women as soft and if a woman flashes her charms while at the poker table, then they must be a soft player as well. There is no respect given. The only way to earn respect is to be aggressive and win.
Carmel Petresco Other
Carmel Petresco has been described by her peers as sharp and intelligent. Her model good looks and stylish presence in front of the camera has also attracted much coverage from the media. Her hobbies and interests include Psychology, telepathy, and shopping for shoes. She has had eleven cash finishes in her career and has earned approximately $134,000 in tournament winnings. She is just getting started in her career and we’ll lay odds that this European gal is going to have a bright future.
