Actress and poker coach Jules Leyser grew up in the UK. As a child she liked games such as chess, dominoes, and backgammon. She was a regional chess champion growing up and still likes to play in backgammon and domino tournaments when her schedule allows. After high school, she attended Trinity College at Oxford where she studied English. She was soon hired by the Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising agency and later became an Account Director for BBH London. But advertising was apparently not for her. She quit the field to pursue a career as an actress and writer. At the Edinburgh Festival, Jules had written a one-woman play which gained some theatrical attention. She was nominated for a Best Actress Award and won the Best Newcomer Award.
Jules Leyser Apperances
Jules has had several appearances in television in both the UK and the U.S. Her credits include shows like Coupling, London’s Burning, Adventure, Inc., Night and Day, and 7th Heaven. She has also been in two films; Trust Me in 2005, and Caffeine in 2006.
Jules Leyser World Poker Tour Boot Camp
In 2003, Jules and her husband Crispin Leyser moved from London to Los Angeles. This is the same year that the online poker industry really started to boom. Jules had been introduced to poker back in London but didn’t discover No Limit Hold’Em until after she and her husband moved to the states. Since Jules was an avid player of games, she began to play poker in online tournaments. With her sharp intellect, she did very well online and garnered enough success that she and her husband, also a successful player, were asked to be guests on the National Public Radio’s program The Day Today. Eventually, a friend who played at their home games introduced the couple to Steve Berman and Ron Reubens, the founders of the World Poker Tour Boot Camp program. Berman and Reubens asked Jules and her husband to help teach classes at their seminars.
The WPT Boot Camp sessions have become a hit. Because of their backgrounds in television and communication, Jules and her husband have proven to be accomplished teachers. Their former students have called them dedicated and passionate about poker. Besides the Leysers, each Boot Camp features a special guest instructor. In the past, some of those guests have included pros like Mike Sexton, TJ Cloutier, Clonie Gowan, and Chip and Karina Jett. Jules and her husband counsel patience, information gathering, and paying attention to how your opponent plays. Jules travels all over the country, teaching sessions at every major casino in the nation. She also has a list of clients that she teaches privately.
In November 2005, at a tournament for charity in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jules Leyser took third place in a field that included Men ‘The Master’ Nguyen, Mike Sexton, Mark Seif, Linda Johnson, and Marcel Luske. Jules’ performance at the table attracted the attention of Marcel Luske and his business partner Wendy Meadley. They invited Jules to join their group of up-and-coming players, The Circle of Outlaws. The group included players such as Patrik Antonius, Frank Sinopoli, Marco Traniello, Erc and Robbie Mizrachi, Scott Flansburg, Luca Pagano and Noah Boeken.
Jules Leyser and WSOP Scandal with Jamie Gold
In 2006, Jules and her husband were thrust into a high-profile lawsuit against World Series of Poker Champion Jamie Gold. According to court documents, Gold was being sponsored by the online site Bodog.com who paid his entry fee into the World Series of Poker Main Event on the condition that he find celebrities to wear Bodog gear that displayed their logo. Jules husband Crispin had met Gold previously and the two made an informal deal. Since Leyser had taught several celebrities to play poker, he would persuade some of them to attend the event and wear the Bodog logo in exchange for half of whatever Gold ended up winning. Gold went on to take first place in the Main Event and won the record-breaking $12 million jackpot. But then he went back on his word and refused to pay Leyser the half that he promised. Jules and her husband sued Gold for the amount of $6 million and a Las Vegas judge froze the winning assets until it could be settled in court.
Jules Leyser Future
Besides poker, Jules still pursues acting roles in television and film. Her schedule allows for lots of free time to play online. She and her husband currently live up in the Hollywood Hills where they have matching laptops to play online. She still travels every weekend for the Boot Camps where her infectious passion for the game inspires all who take her class.
