Jennifer - Player Profile

1st Lady's 2nd Win

Name: Jennifer McDonnell
Nickname (how'd you get it): First Lady.
I think most players know that I earned my nickname for being the first person (female or otherwise) to ever win an official 4^th Street game and that the name commemorates the fact that I’m the President of the 4SPT’s lady. 

However, what may come to a surprise to many of you is that my nickname was actually given to me by the first 4SPT player (female or otherwise) to turn pro and have both a 4SPT and CardPlayer Player Profile – Carmel “The Poker Princess” Petresco.

Age: 29 (with only two games left before my 30^th birthday – it sure does feel good to be able to record this number in Internet history)
Location: 4^th Street, Santa Monica, CA

Favorite hand to play:
Ask any player on the Tour and they’d tell you with certainty that the First Lady’s favorite hand is pocket Queens. This long-standing legend is one I’ve never publicly disputed because it gives most players pause. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone say, “She’s probably got Queens” as they fold their hand to my All-In push.
But instead of looking down to see two Queens, I’d rather see one Queen paired with a King. Call me sentimental, but my favorite hand to play is the Royal First Couple – suited King and Queen of 4^th Street.

Favorite pro player:
While the 4^th Street Poker Tour was modeled after the World Poker Tour, it’s probably more akin to the “Big Game” – where Los Angeles’ most elite home poker players come to play. So I feel a special kinship with Jennifer Harman. We have the same name, similar hairstyles, don’t know much about math or odds, like to keep our extremities warm by pulling our shirtsleeves over our hands, and spend at least one night a week trying to win a whole lot of cash among a room full of men.

Yet my favorite pro is actually the player I most model my game after – Sammy Farha.

How did you learn about the 4SPT:
If Jeff is the entrepreneur that created the 4^th Street enterprise, I am the venture capitalist that unwittingly supported his vision with the initial investment. I surprised Jeff for his 27^th birthday with his own set of chips, a poker table, and 25 of his closest friends at the first No Limit Texas Smoke ‘Em birthday barbeque/poker tournament. The celebration was so much fun, Jeff decided to start a regular game less than 2 weeks later. He sent out an Evite and we had the first 4SPT game with a “full table” of 8 players. I steamrolled the competition and wound up taking home the first 4SPT win. As Jeff prophesized in his first game recap, “Watch for her to play that rush as she looks to be the favorite heading into this week’s game.” So maybe it wasn’t exactly the next week – but 91 games later I was finally able to ride that rush to my second win.

When did you join the 4SPT:
The 4SPT joined me. (Okay, I know Jeff already used that line – but I can’t think of any better way to say it)

Best thing about winning the 4SPT:
The Player Profile! I honestly don’t care if I never make another final table on the Tour again because I finally have a coveted 4SPT Player Profile. All I’ve wanted since the inception of this website was an opportunity for shameless self-promotion (have you ever heard of JennChantal.com, by the way?). Furthermore, no longer will I be known as the only player in the Top 5 Overall whose name doesn’t link to a Player Profile.

Most exciting/best hand you've had on the 4SPT:
With two years to think through what I’d say in my Profile, I always worried I wouldn’t have a most exciting hand to write about. But that all changed on the third hand of the night that I finally took home my second win. The ALternate had raised to 75 under the gun. Action around to me on the button and I see pocket tens. I re-raise to $250 and Al re-re-raises to $450. I called. The flop came 2,2,5 and Al leads out for 1000. I agonized about what to do. To me, it looked like an overbet, 1000 into a 900 pot. The more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself that he made the pot-sized bet because he missed his hand and knew that I, as a tight player, would lay down to his bet. So I moved All-In over the top and he quickly called, turning over pocket Aces.

Dejected and mad at myself for my bad read – I didn’t even bother turning over my hand resigned to the fact I’d be the first player out of the game. Instead, the turn brought a miracle 10 – making me a full house. Shocked, I looked at Al and apologized as I turned over my hand. The river was a blank and I doubled up in a most uncharacteristic manner – a total suckout.

4SPT player you don't want sitting next to you (why):
I’m very protective of the 4SPT culture. Jeff has spent so much time building up the 4^th Street mythology that it irks me to no end when a new player comes to our game and treats it like just another home game. If ever you had that opinion of the Tour, you probably didn’t want to be sitting next to me more than I didn’t want to be sitting next to you – because I’m sure I made my feelings known…

Yet, the players who I found the most annoying when they first joined have become part of the essential heartbeat of the Tour. Indeed, the power of the 4^th Street ethos is so strong that without fail, you’ve all wound up growing on me! So as it turns out, I quite look forward to enjoying the company of whomever is seated next to me – and that’s a great feeling.

Where/how did you learn to play poker:
The elusive Japanese export, Pibb “Rising Sonny,” started hosting poker nights in 2003. Jeff would go next door for a Complex Guy’s Night with Charles, Marc, and Pibb while I stayed home watching girly shows on the Tivo. I’d hear raucous roars of jubilation and wonder why Jeff so rudely left the front door open. When Jeff asked if I minded him hosting a game at our place, I quickly made arrangements to see a movie and get as far from the apartment as possible.

Unfortunately, the movie ended before the game did. I came home to find Jeff heads-up against his friend Danny. Unless I wanted to lock myself in the bedroom, my only option was to sit in the living room and watch the end of the game (very begrudgingly, I might add). To my surprise, I actually found the game quite interesting – even more so when I saw the money that Jeff wound up winning. So after everyone cleared out, I turned to Jeff and said, “I think I’d destroy you in that game.” And so I became Jeff’s official protégé (with a little help from Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten). The rest, as they say, is history…

Anyother interesting stories or whatever else you want people to know:
As this is the place where everyone seems to suck up to us, I guess I’ll reciprocate. I want to thank all of you for making 4^th Street what it is today. Though Jeff and I no longer have the time to commit to running the Tour the way we used to, the game still seems to flow as efficiently as it ever has because so many of you - Rich, Keith, Jamie - are now tour directing for us. Though we might joke about who is second, third or fourth in command, I truly believe that if 33 of us died on a party bus together – I would see Will Shake and Ivan the Terrible picking up the reigns and keeping the Tour alive.

I also want to personally thank those of you who have been so willing to host 34 drunk, degenerate gamblers each week. King Richard, Dino, Charles, Tom, Kalon, Petro, Susan, Chad, Will, Rich, Zak, Josh – there wouldn’t be a “Tour” without you guys. I also really appreciate how many of you have offered up your place and look forward to many new Tour venues in the future.

And I want to especially thank Jeff for his continued love and support – in poker and in life. I’m so happy to be your partner in both ventures.

Finally, a special reminder to everyone on the Tour: STOP TAKING HOME THE SEAT CARDS!! Haven’t you read the fine print? Keep them on the table!

Comments

[Joe]

So when is that party bus rolling around? Sounds like a good time.

[Richie Rich]

I know just who to invite for you on that bus, too, Wou-Tang! Haha.

Such a well articulated profile. The likeness of your game and Sammy's game is uncanny.

[C-Mint]

Like a fine wine, perfection comes with losing 89 times and then winning and posting an awesome profile!

[will]

Those seat cards sell for good money on the internets. Now you know how I finance my lavish lifestyle.