Annie Duke

Annie Duke
Executive Vice President and League Commissioner

One of the leading personalities in professional poker today, Annie Duke brings her brand name to Federated Sports + Gaming as the company’s League Commissioner.

Since 1994 Annie has been dominating poker, quickly establishing herself as one of the best players in the world. In her very first tournament at the World Series of Poker, she placed 13^th. Her first WSOP bracelet came in the $2000 buy-in Omaha Hi/Lo Split in 2004, which she followed up by knocking out nine poker legends to win the No-Limit Texas Hold’em invitation-only WSOP Tournament of Champions the same year. Along the way Annie has parlayed her skills into an industry-leading career that encompasses tournament play, advising gaming companies, authoring instructional books and videos, and as a proponent of players’ rights.

Prior to joining Federated, Annie was a consultant for the online poker site UB.com. Her role included developing promotions and poker professional endorsement strategy, as well as overseeing card-room management to ensure consistency with the rules and tournament structure of the quality of top poker rooms in the world. A longtime industry advocate, Annie has testified in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on Online Poker Legislation, the US House of Representatives Financial Services Committee and continues to be a leading voice for online gaming.

As an educator, Annie is sought after for her vast poker skills and knowledge and is a prolific producer of materials in a range of formats. She has created a series of celebrated DVDs, including: 

• Annie Duke’sAdvanced Texas Hold’em Secrets: How to Beat the Big Boys.

• Annie Duke’s Beginner’s Guide To Texas Hold ‘em.

• Annie Duke’s Girl’s Guide To Texas Hold ‘em.

• Masters of Poker: Annie Duke’s Conquering Online Poker.

Annie also wrote a notable autobiography, Annie Duke: How I raised, folded, bluffed, flirted, cursed and won millions at the World Series of Poker. Her newest venture, Decide to Play Great Poker, a poker strategy book, will be released in Spring 2011. She is also an instructor at the World Series of Poker Academy.

Annie earned a double major in English and Psychology at Columbia University, and an MA in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She was also a National Science Foundation Fellow from 1988 to 1991.