Annie Duke: In Shape and Outspoken
I find a new level of respect for Annie Duke every time I speak with her.
Last month, she taught the WSOP Ladies Academy I attended, and we had several chances to speak about life and ladies-only tournaments.
On life, Annie changed hers drastically after the 2007 WSOP. She admitted that she didn’t feel so great after smoking and drinking tons of caffeine throughout the Series, so she just stopped. Cold turkey. She went smoke-free and caffeine-free in one day, and she switched to eating only organic foods. On top of that she began running – not just a mile or two but ten or twenty. When we spoke in January, she was up to nearly 20 miles at a time and preparing to run the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon on June 1st in San Diego. She’s going to challenge herself with the run while raising money for Ante Up for Africa.
Her comments on ladies-only events in poker went into my article on PokerWorks. As always with Annie, she doesn’t mince words or filter herself, which is something I admire.
Now, I’m going to think about her healthy ways while I put on my workout gear and eat some fruit light up and drink my caffeinated tea.
Anthony says:
February 16th, 2008 at 12:28pm
Too bad her propensity to cheat* at every opportunity ruins her credibility in any form.
*See Negreanu’s or Chan’s blog for examples
BJ Nemeth says:
February 16th, 2008 at 1:06pm
I still think she comes down way too hard on Ladies events. But we can talk about that at Commerce, right? 🙂
And why is a ladies-only event evil, but a ladies-only training seminar is okay?
BJ Nemeth says:
February 16th, 2008 at 1:12pm
And regardless of my feelings about Annie Duke’s view on ladies-only events, I’m impressed that she traded smoking and caffeine for running. She’ll see improvements in all aspects of her life.
I’ve run the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, and I had a great time even though my time wasn’t great. I still prefer the Mickey Mouse Marathon down in Orlando at Walt Disney World though — a very flat course, mild temperatures, and you get to run through the theme parks.
DanM says:
February 16th, 2008 at 2:43pm
Great interview, Jen. Way to bring out AD’s feisty intellect.
Kajagugu says:
February 17th, 2008 at 12:18pm
From everything I read and hear about her, she will only use the fact that she stopped smoking/caffeinating and started running to put everybody around her down and make her feel superior, as usual. She might be a lovely person, but it’s just too hard to believe. Be as opinionated as you want, but try to be nice. Not so hard.
Old Money says:
February 17th, 2008 at 10:08pm
I think Annie is great. She has come a long ways and has reinvented herself. I’m happy for her success. She was smart enough to ride the “crest of this new poker wave.” Good for her.
The negative talk about Annie sounds like sour grapes and some folks that are clearly, jealous.
My advice for Annie. You go girl!
Old Money