Recently, the CEREUS Network online poker room UB.com announced that it had signed adult film star Samantha Ryan to a sponsorship for the ongoing World Series of Poker (WSOP). Ryan sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss her new gig.
Poker News Daily: Thanks for joining us. How did you get started in poker?
Samantha Ryan: I started playing when I was in real estate, which was the last professional job I had before the adult industry. The guys I was in real estate with were also blackjack players and were making excuses to go to Las Vegas every weekend. I was sweating them and that’s when I got the itch. They taught me how to play and I started beating them.
Four years ago, I started playing online. Without playing higher stakes online, I had success here and there and final tabled a few things. I started getting back into it about a year and a half ago and am definitely looking forward to it now.
PND: We’ve noticed that you’re tight with UB.com pros Annie Duke and Tiffany Michelle. How did you come to meet them?
Samantha Ryan: Annie and I have become much better friends over the last few months. We have quite a few mutual friends. I met Annie way back when. I actually dabbled in blackjack a few years ago on a team and one of the guys was playing on the same television show as Annie. Then, I kept running into her. Over the last few months, I started playing in a lot of the charity tournaments around town and she invited me to hers.
I’ve always had great respect for Annie. She’s intelligent and a go-getter. “Celebrity Apprentice” allowed us to see how well she adapts to different situations. I sat down next to [Duke’s boyfriend] Joe Reitman in a charity tournament recently and busted him, but we were chitchatting because he had seen me around a few other events. He introduced me to Bikram, which is the kind of yoga that I do with Annie.
PND: Do you see the partnership with UB.com continuing beyond the WSOP?
Samantha Ryan: It depends on how well I do. If I were to bust out of every tournament and not cash, I don’t think it’d continue. I have to earn my own respect. I haven’t gotten lucky yet and have had a lot of bad beats so far.
PND: Talk about being a woman in a male-dominated sport like poker.
Samantha Ryan: I’ve been playing more live poker recently and have a bigger history online. I’m definitely starting to see the dynamic at the table and it’s almost a challenge to me. Everyone wants to immediately judge me, but I can probably outtalk anyone in about five minutes on any topic. People quietly underestimate me. In cards, there’s always that luck factor.
PND: How has your experience at the WSOP been so far?
Samantha Ryan: It has been a lot of fun. I’ve been around for the past few years and have been itching to play. It’s cool how the Amazon Room is the secondary room now and it’s fun to be back at the WSOP as a player. It’s something I’ve been planning to do for the past few years. I’m glad to get the jitters out of the way.
PND: You’re playing in the $1,000 buy-in Ladies Event. What are you expecting in it?
Samantha Ryan: It’s going to be a lot different and I almost prefer playing with the guys. I’m playing it because it works better with my schedule. I guess at the same time I should because I’m a lady. I don’t know if I’ll like playing with all females, but there won’t be that dynamic of being a target. There won’t be those hands where people play aggressively against me.