In the world of poker, few individuals leave a lasting impression both on and off the felt. Jeanne David, affectionately known as a pillar of the Las Vegas poker community, has achieved just that. Her unwavering kindness and dedication to helping others have earned her the utmost respect locally, while her contributions to the game have propelled her to global recognition.
Whether empowering women, promoting mixed games or responsible gambling, this Las Vegas-based mixed games player has done it all. Jeanne David even assisted in assisting in legalizing online poker in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. In this article, we will delve into the inspiring journey of Jeanne David, who fought with her inner demons, conquering the challenges and hurdles on and off the felts.
Jeanne David’s Early Life and Career
Jeanne David was born and brought up in Yonkers, New York. She has had to face many challenges since her childhood. She was only 4 when her father left her and her sister. Eileen grew up learning how to cook, do laundry, and do much more work helping her family.
At 18, Jeanne moved to Tucson, Arizona, studying at the University of Arizona. That’s when Jeanne found herself indulging herself in drugs, which destroyed her teenage years. She then dropped out of college and faced multiple challenges in real life, due to her addiction, which cost her 10 years of her life. She ultimately won the battle against addiction in 1982 and never looked back. Jeanne took a new lease of life and worked in the field of addiction to help others to get rid of addition. She also didn’t leave her studies and earned a Master’s Degree at 50.
Jeanne spent 20 years working in addiction treatment, eventually becoming the director of one of New York City’s largest residential facilities. After discovering online poker, she decided to make a fresh start and moved to Las Vegas. Shortly after arriving, she found an opportunity at PokerStars in responsible gaming, where she worked as a manager promoting responsible gaming. During that period, she helped a lot of players struggling with gambling addiction.
Jeanne David’s Poker Career and Earnings
According to the Hendon Mob, Jeanne’s first live cash came in 2007 when she scored a money finish in the $330 Omaha Hi/Li event in the 2007 Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza for $625. She followed it up with an 18th-place finish in the 38th WSOP $1k Seniors World Championship for $12,074, which is still her biggest payout. Her first recorded live tournament victory came in 2011 when she won the $60 Dealers Choice in EMBARGO Las Vegas for $1,200.
Her next victory came in the $340 Omaha Hi-Lo in Deep Stack Extravaganza for $6,856 and then she went on to finish in 61st place in 42nd WSOP $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. for a $3,757 payout. Two years later, she scored a back-to-back win in January by winning $150 H.O.R.S.E. in the Senior Poker tour and $70 NLH H.O.R.S.E. in EMBARGO, earning over $2.5k in total.
Jeanne continued participating in low buy-in H.O.R.S.E. and Omaha Hi/Lo tournaments, cementing herself as one of the best mixed game players in the world. One of her poker career’s biggest achievements was when she reached the final table of the 2018 WSOP $1,500 Razz tournament, earning $10,240 for her 8th place finish. That same year, she even came close to winning her career first circuit ring in the WSOP Circuit Las Vegas $365 H.O.R.S.E. pocketing $3,104 for her 5th place finish.
Between 2019 to 2023, she won over 18 live tournaments, winning two tournaments in 2019, three tournaments in 2020, four tournaments in 2021 and an incredible 6 tournaments in 2022. The year 2023 saw her record three live poker victories.
In 2024, she recorded three victories including a win for $ 4,000 in the $ 240 Limit H.O.R.S.E. at Orleans Winter Poker Open, Las Vegas. Her most recent victory came in $150 Mixed Games: Limit T.O.R.S.E. at 2024 The Orleans Hotels & Casino for $1,445. She also scored two final table finishes in the WSOP Circuit Las Vegas Event #3: $600 H.O.R.S.E. and Event #4: $400 Limit Omaha 8 or Better. She finished 4th and 6th in both events respectively, collecting over $5.3k.
As of 2025 January, Jeanne has cashed in 230 live poker tournaments, amassing $268k in live earnings. She has won over 10 Limit Omaha 8 or Better live tournaments, over 6 H.O.R.S.E., and many more other victories in mixed games.
Jeanne David’s Induction into Women in Poker Hall of Fame
Besides playing poker, Jeanne played an important role in women’s poker, responsible gaming, and the online poker industry in the United States. Her own experience fighting with an addiction paves a path to improving the game.
Jeanne worked for PokerStars as a Responsible Gambling head. In her role, she met with various gaming commissions around the world from the UK to the USA. She went on to speak about the game in parliamentarian sittings in the Netherlands, and political leaders in Nevada, California. It was the perfect role, blending her expertise and love for poker. She is said to assist in legalizing online poker in places like Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.
After leaving PokerStars in 2022, Jeanne became a fan favorite among mixed game enthusiasts. No one promoted mixed games like Jeanne. While women statistically make up just 5% of the field in open No Limit Hold’em poker tournaments and an even smaller 3% in mixed games tournaments, the HORSE league stands out remarkably. The league now boasts an impressive 40% female participation.
Where is Jeanne David Now?
Jeanne David hasn’t gone anywhere, she is still competing in local mixed games and is one of the beloved figures in the Las Vegas poker community. Jeanne was recently inducted into the 2024 Women in Poker Hall Of Fame, a much-deserved recognition for her work in the poker industry. She also serves on the Poker.org Player Advisory Board and was the inaugural guest on The Real Poker Girls of Las Vegas Podcast, an all-female show dedicated to women in poker and gaming.
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