Michele Lewis is the only person in her family that was born outside of Texas. She is from Atlanta, Georgia which makes her a Georgia Peach but she prefers to be called a bad apple. She earned a degree in Psychology from the University of Houston and still proudly calls herself a UH Cougar (as in the name of the football team, not a hot mature woman who likes younger men). After college, Michele Lewis took a job for the Vail Associates in Colorado. Her husband was still in college at the time and her flexible schedule allowed her to tear up the powder on the slopes. Yes, she plays poker and snowboards. How cool is that?
Michele Lewis Poker Beginnings
Michele Lewis first got into poker when her future father-in-law introduced her to the game. She had always been attracted to games such as chess and Trivial Pursuit. She had a competitive nature that was tempered when she was a figure skater in her younger years. After she and her husband were married, they played poker socially with other couples. While in Colorado, Michele started going to the local casinos to practice her skills.
After a year in Colorado, Michele Lewis and her husband moved back to Texas where they found a new poker group to play with. Unfortunately, after the first week of Michele cleaning house around the felt, the group instigated a NVR, “No Vagina Rule”. So Michele had to find a new game which in Houston was difficult. The games had a tendency to get either robbed or busted.
In 2003, another preschool parent invited the Lewis’ to a private game. With her skills a bit rusty, Michele lost that first night but quickly bounced back and started winning again. This group apparently did not have an NVR so Michele was playing regularly.
Michele Lewis Poker Tournaments
Michele played in a few live tournaments before 2006. Her first casino tournament was at the Bellagio Casino. As she and her husband were checking in, she walked over to the poker room and saw a big tournament going on. While she stood there watching, Alan Feiner walked past and asked her if she wanted to play in a satellite. The next thing she knew, she was playing a tournament with pros like James Van Alstyne, David Plastik, Noah Boeken, and a few others. She did well and busted out around twenty spots from the money.
Michele played in a few more live tournaments. Then came the 2006 WSOP. She finished in the money at two events and earned a total of $8,400. Then at the Limit Hold’Em event, she made it to the final table where she took fourth place and earned $72,891.
Michele Lewis Woman in Poker
When it comes to who is better at poker, men or women, Michele states that because the field is mostly male dominated, the men have an easier time reading their opponents. Her theory is that it is easier to read the same sex, perhaps because the patterns of thinking are similar and one has a better time guessing what the other player is thinking. But other than that, she thinks the debate will always go on as it has for other social issues involving men and women.
Being a female player in a male-dominated sport always runs the risk of becoming a target for sexist behavior and Michele has had her share. At a cash game at the Bellagio, a player once suggested they play strip poker because he wanted to see Michele naked. This triggered the release of her patented quicksilver tongue. Her immediate response back was that since he was so much older than her, he must have been a pedophile. Everyone at the table laughed at the offender’s expense.
Michele Lewis WSOP
During the 2006 WSOP, fellow player Sarah Bilney convinced Michele to start up a poker blog. The site MicheleLewis.com has become a popular spot where Michele blogs about tournaments, events, and practically everything to do with the poker world. The success of the site gained her some notoriety and she now writes for WickedChopsPoker, Mamanoggin.com, Bluff Magazine, and Women Poker Player Magazine.
Michele is the mother of two and being a parent can be tough when one travels the circuit. Michele tries to stick with competing in the WSOP because the kids are out of school or on vacation during those times. She states that her husband, despite working hard to build up a business, is very accommodating and that the children’s grandmothers are active in their lives. Last year the family rented a house during the WSOP, so Michele got to play in the tournament without having to be away from her family.
Michele Lewis Other Interests
Besides being a professional poker player, managing her blog and other writing duties, and running a business, Michele also volunteers for charity. She donates to cancer research regardless if she wins at tournaments. She is very modest about it, stating that her donations will not build any new buildings but she just does what she can to help out. Besides cancer research, she also donates to several other charities including the Jen Harman SPCA, St. Judes, Diabetes foundations, Lymphoma Society, Unicef, Give Kids the World, MD Anderson Hospital on Houston, and American Heart Association.
Michele Lewis Poker Future
Michele lives in Houston, Texas with her family. She owns her own real estate brokerage and her life seems extremely busy. Besides live tournaments, she has online accounts at PokerStars, FullTilt, and UltimateBet but because of her schedule, she doesn’t always have time to play. She still flies to Las Vegas once a month for several days and plays at the Bellagio. She states that what little spare time she has is devoted to scientific research on how to obtain more spare time or how to clone herself. So far that research has been unsuccessful. Her nickname on the circuit is “The Black Widow” because of her aggressiveness at the table. She may be considered a Black Widow but she is also one cool cookie.
