Things you might not know:
- Duke grew up with two parents as teachers and a tough minded and competitive father who refused to cut her any slack teaching her games growing up.
- Duke's brother is noted player and Full Tilt CEO Howard Lederer.
- Duke attended Columbia University, with a double major in Psychology and English.
- Duke was five years into her quest for a doctorate when she moved from Philadelphia to Billings, Montana with her new husband Ben Duke.
- Duke's below the poverty line existence in Montana eventually led her into the local poker rooms to make more money.
- Duke and her husband moved to Las Vegas in 1994 to try her luck at poker.
- Duke placed 13th in her first WSOP tournament, knocking her brother out of play.
- Duke won $70,000 in her first World Series of Poker in 1994.
- Duke once tutored actor Ben Affleck, who rode her instruction to a win at the 2004 Californai State Poker Championship.
- Duke was on Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice where she finished second to comedian Joan Rivers.
- Duke has four children named Maud, Leo, Lucy and Nelly.
- Duke got engaged on Christmas 2010 to long time boyfriend, actor, producer and poker junkie, Joe Reitman.
Annie Duke recently departed her long time association with UB to pursue new poker opportunities. She is currently writing a book with Vanessa Rousso about their deep runs in 2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship which she won. Duke remains a visible proponent of legalizing poker, educating other poker players at events like the WSOP Academy, and involved in numerous charities like Ante Up for Africa.
The first three parts of an extensive interview with Annie Duke:
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