Lafayette native, grandmother of six, competes in World Poker Tour in Vegas

LAFAYETTE, Ind. – While some grandmothers might be baking cookies for Christmas, one grandmother is competing against professionals at the World Poker Tour Championship at the Wynn Las Vegas.

Lafayette native Stacey Breslin, 53, is a mother to five children and grandma to six grandchildren. She has worked in the education supply market for 33 years and on the side — she plays poker.

Breslin is now competing for her second year in the World Poker Tour Championship where she will go up against professionals for a record-breaking $40 million prize pool starting Dec. 12 and running through Dec. 21.

“I started playing on WPT last spring and one random day decided to upgrade to a higher level because they had better tournaments,” Breslin said. “I won an event that got me into the event last year with plenty of time to prepare. This year I was in a panic and, in a last ditch effort, got into the tournament by making it into the top 20 of one of the last tournaments they held before the championship.”

Playing as an amateur, Breslin won her free seat to the $10,400 buy-in WPT Championship by defeating 1,500 other players on the World Poker Tour app. She and her husband landed in Vegas on Monday, Dec. 11, and play begins at 11 a.m. PST — 2 p.m. Eastern — on Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Poker is a family tradition

Breslin credits her own grandmother for her love of poker, she said. Her grandmother would regularly hold family gatherings where various card games were played amongst the children and the adults.

“The rules were, if you had your own money and knew what you were doing, you could play at the adult table,” she said. “So, of course, all the kids were eager to learn each game and prove they belonged at the adult table.”

Euchre was the first game that Breslin learned to play that wasn’t a normal “children’s” game like “Go Fish,” she said. The next “adult-speed” game she learned was “Hand and Foot” and she became obsessed, she said.

“I appreciate all the game night memories the most because you learned how to play but you also learned to be okay with losing,” she said. “Because Grandma doesn’t let you win!”

Now a grandmother of six, Breslin has done away with the “adult” and “child” tables, but can still be found playing card games with her family at most family gatherings. Her oldest grandson is 13 and has started to catch on and play with the rest of the family, she said.

The other grandchildren are still a bit too young to understand the concepts of the games, but as they age, there just might be a chance that the “adult” and “child” tables make their way back into the household.

Breslin’s husband, Michael, doesn’t like playing poker as much as she does, she said. Every once in a while, he will sub for her in neighborhood tournaments if she isn’t feeling well. One year, he won the tournament and “doesn’t feel the need to play again,” she said.

“He’s a slow and methodical thinker,” she said. “I call ‘clock’ on him all the time and if I’m at the table with him, I get frustrated because I’m like ‘you should have already known what you are going to do,’” she said, laughing.

Michael’s favorite family card game is called “Frustration” and is similar to Phase 10 where players have different sets and runs, in order to lay down their cards, Breslin said, noting that it is, indeed, “very frustrating.”

How Stacey Breslin advanced in the poker world

Breslin started playing poker competitively with teachers from a local high school in a social aspect, she said. Then, she slowly started joining home leagues and online tournaments.

When she first started playing at Las Vegas tables 10 years ago, there were a few eyebrows raised when a woman sat down at the table, she said.

“You know there was some gruffness from older gentlemen, but as the years have gone by, I don’t really feel that way anymore. There are more and more women showing up,” she said. “We are just as good as they [the men] are, and sometimes it’s an advantage if he doesn’t like the way you are playing or just your presence gets to his head.”

Breslin has, now, sat next to professional poker players like Scotty Nguyen and Daniel Negreanu, she said.

“You have to stop looking at it as ‘oh, I am sitting next to this famous player’ and, instead, play each table. Learn that table. Do not pay attention to the table next to you,” she said.

Stacey Breslin's advice to new poker players

For new poker players, Breslin suggests playing as much as you can and starting cheap. Do not go too high because you will be in over your head, she said.

“Most importantly — I've learned to fold,” she said. “It is okay to fold. Folding is good! Don’t call everything; just fold. Trust your gut and pay attention.”

Breslin prides herself on avoiding most superstitions as well. She does not wear sunglasses or hoodies. She doesn’t have a card protector or “good luck charm” that she brings with her. She just shows up. “Ready to play,” she said.

Anytime before she flies to Vegas, however, Breslin is sure to download the movie “Maverick” with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster that follows a man hoping to join a poker contest with an impressive payoff.

“I will watch that on my plane any time I go to Vegas,” she said. “It’s not a superstition … it’s more of a ‘ritual,’” she said.

Breslin’s chance at a record-breaking payout begins Wednesday, Dec. 13. Updates and winnings can be found by visiting the World Poker Tour webpage.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette native, grandmother, to play in World Poker Tour in Vegas