The poker industry will celebrate the career accomplishments of two new inductees at this year’s Women in Poker Hall of Fame Luncheon Celebration sponsored by bestbet Jacksonville and hosted by Golden Nugget Casino on Wednesday, June 25th, at 11AM in Las Vegas as part of Ladies Poker Week™, a series of poker events the last week of June. Respected poker player and industry professional Allyn Jaffrey Shulman and industry professional Deborah Giardina will join the elite roster of time-honored women at the Sixth Season WiPHoF Gala Luncheon.
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman – With over one million dollars in poker tournament winnings, Allyn has demonstrated superior poker skills by winning her gold bracelet and $603,713 prize in the 2012 WSOP Seniors with 4,128 entrants. At the time, this was the largest field ever for a one day starting field in a land based casino. She was the first woman in 249 bracelet events to win a bracelet other than a ladies event. She proved she wasn’t a “one hit wonder” by winning the 2013 Venetian Deepstacks $5K Championship with 262 players where she won 1st place and $293,966.
Allyn’s skills go beyond the poker tables. She is one of the world’s leading experts on online gambling law. Having been a practicing criminal defense for over 30 years, her expertise lies in the area of complex legal analysis, issues of constitutional magnitude, police and judicial misconduct and contempt of court. She testified before the North Dakota Senate regarding online gaming when they were attempting to be the first State to authorize online gaming. Allyn is also a former Board member of Poker Player Alliance and the Women in Poker Hall of Fame.
Deborah Giardina – A very accomplished industry professional who has brought success to every casino she has worked with. She started her career as a dealer in 1990 in Colorado and rose to the position of Assistant Table Games Manager within six months.
Deborah saw the potential in Biloxi, Mississippi and took a position at Lyle Berman’s Grand Casino Gulfport. She was part of the opening staff and was appointed Cardroom Manager within the first year. She then moved forward and assisted the opening of the Grand Casino Coushatta in Kinder. In 1999, Deborah opened the cardroom for Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota, and in 2004 was hired as Director of Poker Operations for the new Wynn Las Vegas Poker Room. Currently, Deborah is the Vice President of Poker Operations at bestbet Jacksonville in Florida, the largest cardroom in Florida.
The glamorous gala luncheon allows guests to enjoy no-host cocktails, music, and lunch. A silent auction will open at 11AM. All proceeds will benefit two charities www.WhenCharityWorks.org and www.PokerGives.org. Both non-profits are 501(c)(3) Nevada charities serving families and community organizations in Nevada.
The WiPHoF Gala Luncheon event is open to the public and will take place inside the Golden Nugget Casino’s Pebbles/Augusta Ballrooms. Tickets are $40 if purchased in advance at womeninpokerhalloffame.com and $50 at the door. To continue the celebration of women in poker, there is a $125 Buy-In WiPHoF Celebration No-Limit Hold’em Tournament in the Golden Nugget Grand Ballroom at 5PM that evening. A special hotel room rate is available by mentioning Grand14 tournament group code. Call 1-800-634-3454 for reservations.
To read more about this year’s WiPHoF inductees visit www.womeninpokerhalloffame.com .
