Beth Shak
Encyclopedia
Beth Shak is an American
professional poker
player. She has been playing professionally since 2004. She's appeared in the World Series of Poker
, Playboy's Poker Tournament, "Aces & Angels" at the Playboy Mansion
, YRB Magazine's "Rock It" fashion spread, and MTV Cribs
. She is also an entrepreneur, philanthropist and shoe expert. Shak ran a private vintage designer clothing business for 10 years.
and using “play money” until she felt comfortable enough to start playing with real money. When she started playing live, she found it to be “very different” and had to learn not to let men intimidate her. She has said she wants to be known as a good player, not "a good player...for a woman."
She has ten tournament cashes to her name, placing her amongst the top percentile of the Women's All Time Money List. She placed 8th in the 2005 World Series of Poker
Ladies' event, which was only her second live tournament. At the 2007 World Series of Poker
Shak placed 2nd (out of over 800 players) in the $3K No-Limit Hold ‘em event.
Shak made it to the final day of Season 5 of the European Poker Tour
(EPT) finishing in the top 30 out of over 500 players, according to the European Poker Tour season 5 results
.
Shak is developing a clothing line which she says will start with hoodies, as well as a high-end shoe line, and a line of lingerie
.
As of 2009, her total live tournament winnings exceed $450,000. Of those winnings, $363,118 have come at the WSOP.
, although her favorite is a custom-made pair of heels by Walter Steiger.
Her shoe collection has led to her receiving no small amount of media attention. Her shoe collection has been written about in many articles and she has made several TV appearances to talk about it.
She was featured next to other celebrities such as Fergie and Kelly Rowland
in the documentary God Save My Shoes, directed by Julie Benasra.
, as a "millionairess" seeking professional dating help to find a husband.
Shak is the mother of three children.
, playing in many charity
poker tournaments, raising money for various charities
, most notably the "All in" for Kids Poker Tournament (which she co-founded) for The Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania’s Palliative Care program.
She is on the board of the board of the Wish Upon A Hero
Foundation and the advisory board of ShoeRevolt.com.
Shak co-chaired the Pink Tie Ball in 2005.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player. She has been playing professionally since 2004. She's appeared in the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
, Playboy's Poker Tournament, "Aces & Angels" at the Playboy Mansion
Playboy Mansion
The Playboy Mansion is the home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. Located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.-History:The house is described as being in the "Gothic-Tudor" style...
, YRB Magazine's "Rock It" fashion spread, and MTV Cribs
MTV Cribs
MTV Cribs and CMT Cribs, depending on which channel it airs, is a franchise reality television program that originated on the MTV Networks' MTV. It later aired on its CMT channel that features tours of the houses and mansions of celebrities. The first show aired September 2000...
. She is also an entrepreneur, philanthropist and shoe expert. Shak ran a private vintage designer clothing business for 10 years.
Poker career
Shak initially learned to play poker by logging on to Full Tilt PokerFull Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker is an online poker card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson...
and using “play money” until she felt comfortable enough to start playing with real money. When she started playing live, she found it to be “very different” and had to learn not to let men intimidate her. She has said she wants to be known as a good player, not "a good player...for a woman."
She has ten tournament cashes to her name, placing her amongst the top percentile of the Women's All Time Money List. She placed 8th in the 2005 World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
Ladies' event, which was only her second live tournament. At the 2007 World Series of Poker
2007 World Series of Poker
The 2007 World Series of Poker began on June 1, 2007. The $10,000 no-limit Texas hold 'em Main Event began on July 6 and was completed on the morning of July 18...
Shak placed 2nd (out of over 800 players) in the $3K No-Limit Hold ‘em event.
Shak made it to the final day of Season 5 of the European Poker Tour
European Poker Tour
The Pokerstars European Poker Tour is a series of poker tournaments similar to those in the World Poker Tour , created by John Duthie, winner of the inaugural Poker Million tournament. It began in 2004 as part of the worldwide explosion in Texas Hold 'em popularity...
(EPT) finishing in the top 30 out of over 500 players, according to the European Poker Tour season 5 results
European Poker Tour season 5 results
- EPT 5 Barcelona :* Casino: Casino Barcelona, Barcelona * Buy-in: €8,000 * 5-Day Event: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 to Sunday, September 14, 2008* Number of buy-ins: 619* Total Prize Pool: €4,952,000...
.
Shak is developing a clothing line which she says will start with hoodies, as well as a high-end shoe line, and a line of lingerie
Lingerie
Lingerie are fashionable and possibly alluring undergarments.Lingerie usually incorporates one or more flexible, stretchy materials like Lycra, nylon , polyester, satin, lace, silk and sheer fabric which are not typically used in more functional, basic cotton undergarments.The term in the French...
.
As of 2009, her total live tournament winnings exceed $450,000. Of those winnings, $363,118 have come at the WSOP.
Shoe Collection
Shak owns approximately 1,200 pairs of shoes, including 700 pairs by designer Christian LouboutinChristian Louboutin
Christian Louboutin is a French footwear designer whose father is cabinetmaker Roger Louboutin and homemaker mother Irene. His siblings include three sisters, no brothers. Landscape architect Louis Benech has been his partner since 1997. Louboutin launched his line of high-end women's shoes in...
, although her favorite is a custom-made pair of heels by Walter Steiger.
Her shoe collection has led to her receiving no small amount of media attention. Her shoe collection has been written about in many articles and she has made several TV appearances to talk about it.
She was featured next to other celebrities such as Fergie and Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
in the documentary God Save My Shoes, directed by Julie Benasra.
Personal life
Shak was married to fellow poker player Daniel Shak, but they are now divorced. Shak appeared on a November 2010 episode of "reality" television program, Millionaire MatchmakerMillionaire Matchmaker
Millionaire Matchmaker is a television series produced by Bravo and presented by Patti Stanger. Stanger founded the Beverly Hills-based "Millionaire's Club" in 2000 to cater to wealthy men looking for partners...
, as a "millionairess" seeking professional dating help to find a husband.
Shak is the mother of three children.
Philanthropy
Shak is an active philanthropistPhilanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, playing in many charity
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
poker tournaments, raising money for various charities
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, most notably the "All in" for Kids Poker Tournament (which she co-founded) for The Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania’s Palliative Care program.
She is on the board of the board of the Wish Upon A Hero
Wish Upon A Hero
Wish Upon a Hero is a social helping network in the United States, which connects those in need with people who are willing to help.-History and Organization Background:...
Foundation and the advisory board of ShoeRevolt.com.
Shak co-chaired the Pink Tie Ball in 2005.
Medical Patent
Shak has developed a medical patent for hospital gowns. It features a modified bathrobe with access points for an IV and other medical equipment.Media Appearances
| Year | Show | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Access Hollywood Access Hollywood Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and... |
Shopping with Eva Longoria Eva Longoria Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives... |
| 2009 | myfoxla.com | "Gambling Secrets from the Pros" |
| 2009 | MTV MTV MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs.... |
Appearance on MTV Teen Cribs |
| 2010 | Whatever with Alexis & Jennifer | Appearance on October, 2010 |
| 2010 | Fox News | "Poker Face" |
| 2010 | NBC 10 Philadelphia | "Poker Champion Gives Back" |
| 2010 | Asylum (TV series) Asylum (TV series) Asylum is a British comedy series which was shown on Paramount Comedy Channel in 1996. Set in a mental asylum, it ran for one series of six episodes. Unlike traditional sitcoms or comedy television shows, it was to some extent an opportunity for stand-up routines by various comedians, mixed with an... |
"Poker Player Beth Shak" |
| 2010 | RTL Deutschland | Shak featured on a Dutch television series. |
| 2010 | Fox News | "Is Taxing Poker a Bad Play?" |
| 2010 | Fox Business News | Segment:"Buy Sell Hold 9/2/10" |
| 2010 | Stars and Stories | Shak featured on a German television show. |
| 2010 | Millionaire Matchmaker Millionaire Matchmaker Millionaire Matchmaker is a television series produced by Bravo and presented by Patti Stanger. Stanger founded the Beverly Hills-based "Millionaire's Club" in 2000 to cater to wealthy men looking for partners... |
Appearance on November, 2010. |
| 2011 | Shoes.tv | "Ankle Breaking News: Beth Shak, Justin Bieber, Adidas, Lady Gaga" |
| 2011 | AOL.com | "You've Got Beth Shak" |
| 2011 | Today (NBC program) | "Poker queen antes up 1,200 pairs of shoes" |
| 2011 | PBS: Vine Talk | Appearance on Vine Talk with Stanley Tucci Stanley Tucci Stanley Tucci is an American actor, writer, film producer and film director. He has been nominated for several notable film awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in The Lovely Bones... |
| 2011 | Cosmo TV | Appearance on Series: Oh So Cosmo Oh So Cosmo Oh So Cosmo is Cosmopolitan TV ’s flagship half hour magazine-style TV show. It offers stories and segments about the lifestyle of hip, urban women... |
| 2011 | Fox News | "God Save My Shoes" |
| 2011 | Inside Edition Inside Edition Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded... |
Story on Shak's shoe collection. |
| 2011 | The Daily | "High on Heels" |
| 2011 | The Wendy Williams Show The Wendy Williams Show The Wendy Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Wendy Williams that premiered on July 14, 2008, as six-week sneak peek, in Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York City. The test run was picked up for a full season that began its run on July 13, 2009 in over 70% of the country in... |
Appearance on the Wendy Williams Show |
| 2011 | Celebrity Nightmares Decoded Celebrity Nightmares Decoded Celebrity Nightmares Decoded is a show that airs on The Biography Channel in the United States. It premiered on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at 10pm EST.- Description :... |
Episode 3 |
| 2011 | One on One with Steve Adubato One on One with Steve Adubato One on One with Steve Adubato is a talk show on CN8 hosted by four-time Emmy Award winner Stephen N. Adubato, Jr.. The show is one half-hour long and airs at 5:30 P.M. every weeknight on the Comcast Network. Various guests are interviewed on this show... |
Appearance on November 12, 2011 |