Lacey Jones brings so much to the poker table. Don’t expect that to stop. A player, model, and the new presenter for Full Tilt Poker, Lacey enjoys making the most of her uncommon assets. “Yes, I do a lot of talking at the table, I think that’s my strongest point,” Lacey, who joined Full Tilt in June, said. “A lot of female pros want to play like guys, but when you chat, or flirt a little bit, they don’t want you to leave. I have one thing the guys don’t have – the female factor.” She may possess the ability to mesmerize her opponents, but it doesn’t end there. Lacey can play. At the time this was written, she had seven cashes, including two at the World Series of Poker, under her belt. “I love the competition, I love meeting new people,” she said. “There’s nothing like winning a big pot.” Speaking of big, joining Full Tilt meant a great deal to the Las Vegas resident. “Signing with Full Tilt has been a highlight,” said Lacey. “I’m hosting some of their shows and they’re sponsoring me.” In July, she served as the presenter for Full Tilt’s Doubles Poker Championship. Given Lacey’s affiliation with online rooms - she was part of the team at Absolute Poker before leaving in May - it could be assumed that her intro to the game came via computer. That assumption would be wrong. “I learned when I was a kid, my grandmother taught me on vacations to South Carolina,” she said. “My games of choice were poker and blackjack.” The Internet, though, has played a role in Lacey’s emergence. “I don’t play in a regular home game, I mostly play online,” she said. “I also like to play in casinos, against the tourists.” Being in Vegas, as far as casinos are concerned, Lacey can sample some of the world’s best. “I love to play anywhere I can find a game,” she stated. “Right now, it’s Aria. There’s just something about it.” Part of City Center, the Aria Hotel & Casino has a 24-table cardroom, featuring, to name a few, no-limit hold’em, seven-card stud and pot-limit Omaha. Venues like Aria don’t just represent bright lights and glamour. For Lacey, they’re places to up her acumen. “To improve, the main thing I like to do is to play as much as I can,” she said. “I’ll also read books on poker. It’s not like it was 20 years ago. There’s so much information out there.” Watching poker on TV is another learning tool.“I enjoy it a lot,” said Lacey. “I love Poker After Dark, but, for me, I don’t just want to see the final table. I want to see how people made it there.” Tournaments, whether she’s watching or playing, take priority, but cash contests do have a pull. “I prefer tournaments – I’m really competitive – but I’m starting to play more cash,” she informed. “With tournaments, there’s no greater feeling than taking one down. I’ve won some smaller ones, but I’d really love to win a major.” Considering her level of performance, as well as the company she keeps, capturing a big one may not be far off. “There are so many pros I admire,” Lacey, a graduate of the University of Arizona, where she majored in Political Science and French, said. “Playing over the years, it’s like family. Two guys I really like are Gavin Smith and Keith Gipson, who’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen.” Smith, originally from Ontario, won his first gold bracelet at this year’s WSOP. Overall, he’s cashed 78 times and has totaled more than $5 million in winnings on the live circuit. Gipson, a native of Huntsville, Alabama, has earned more than $190,000 through land-based tournaments. While players like Smith, Gipson, Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu have tremendous talent, labeling them athletes might be pushing it. “Is poker a sport? Kind of, if you consider the competition factor,” Lacey, an avid follower of the Vancouver Canucks and their standout goalie, Roberto Luongo, said. “There’s also the endurance element, but I think it’s more of a game, like chess. I’m a big hockey and football fan, so I don’t know if it’s a sport, per se.” Game, sport, when Lacey comes to the table, does anybody really care?