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Linda Johnson is an American poker player and industry figure, nicknamed “The First Lady of Poker” by Mike Sexton, who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2011. [3] She won a World Series of Poker bracelet in the 1997 $1,500 Seven-Card Razz event, owned and published Card Player magazine from 1993, helped found the Tournament Directors Association and was the studio announcer of the World Poker Tour in its first six seasons. [3][5]
Linda Johnson: key facts
| Full name | Linda Johnson |
|---|---|
| Nickname | The First Lady of Poker [3] |
| Country | United States [1] |
| Born | October 14, 1953 (age 73), Long Island, New York [6] |
| Lives in | Las Vegas, Nevada [3] |
| Known for | Card Player publisher, Tournament Directors Association, World Poker Tour studio announcer, Card Player Cruises [3] |
| Poker Hall of Fame | Inducted 2011 [3] |
| WSOP bracelets | 1 (1997, $1,500 Seven-Card Razz) [2][5] |
| Other honors | Women’s Poker Hall of Fame 2008; WPT Honors 2017 [8][9] |
| Live tournament earnings | $467,335 as of October 5, 2026 [1] |
Early life: a military family and the post office
Johnson was born on October 14, 1953, at an Air Force base on Long Island, New York. Her father was in the military, and the family moved between bases in New York, Georgia, England, Kansas and California while she was at school. During college she took a job at the post office and moved up to supervisory positions there. [6]
Poker came through blackjack. In a Card Player interview she recalled her first trips to Las Vegas and her father’s advice: “My dad said, ‘look, if you’re going to gamble, you need to play poker because with poker you can win and you aren’t playing against the house.’ I had never even played a hand of poker until I was 21.” [11]
Beginning in poker
She started playing in the 1970s after buying poker books and teaching herself the game. [3] According to PokerListings, she played her first tournament in 1978, where she was the only woman registered and reached the final table. [6]
In 1980 she entered the World Series of Poker Ladies seven-card stud event, having decided in advance that if she did well she would leave her job at the United States Post Office and move to Las Vegas. She finished fifth, gave her two-week notice and played poker full time from 1980 until 1993, one of only a handful of women playing professionally in those years. [3] In the early 1980s she moved up to $10/$20, at the time a big game played by the professionals. [6]
Playing style
Johnson is a mixed-game player. In 2018 she named razz and H.O.R.S.E. as her favorite games, [10] and most of her WSOP cashes have come in limit and stud events such as Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better and Omaha Hi-Lo. [2] She has described her approach as three objectives: “My objectives, of course, are to win money, have a good time, and make sure my opponents have a good time.” She added that she does not play favorites: “I will check-raise my best friend, and I have check-raised my mother.” [11]
Greatest achievements
The 1997 WSOP bracelet
On April 20, 1997, Johnson won the $1,500 Seven-Card Razz event at the 28th World Series of Poker. The field had 160 entries and a $240,000 prize pool; she took the $96,000 first prize, with Peter Brownstein second for $48,000. [5] Card Player lists it as the best live tournament score of her career. [11] When the Hall of Fame announced her induction in 2011, the WSOP noted that she was one of only 15 women to have won a WSOP open event and credited her with seven WSOP final tables. [3] Asked in 2007 about the highlight of her career, she answered: “Why, my WSOP bracelet, of course.” [7]
Selected tournament results
| Year | Event | Result | Prize | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | WSOP $1,500 Seven-Card Razz (160 entries) | 1st | $96,000 | [5] |
| 2012 | WPT Bay 101 $9,500 + 500 Championship (364 entries) | 33rd | $16,000 | [2] |
| 2013 | WSOP Event #39, $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better (558 entries) | 9th | $12,459 | [2] |
| 2025 | WSOP Event #39, $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. (867 entries) | 10th | $11,561 | [2] |
Her WSOP.com profile lists one bracelet, five final tables, 17 cashes and $201,687 in earnings. [2] PokerNews, using data from The Hendon Mob, gives $467,335 in live tournament earnings. [1]
Card Player, the TDA and the World Poker Tour
In 1993, after a Card Player poker cruise, Johnson learned that the magazine’s owners wanted to sell. She bought it with fellow professionals Denny Axel and Scott Rogers. [6] Over the next eight years the magazine grew from a 68-page black and white newsprint publication into a 132-page, full-color glossy magazine, and as publisher she visited more than 200 cardrooms around the world. [3] Card Player describes her as its publisher and part owner for nearly eight years. [4] In 2000 she and her partners sold the magazine to Barry Shulman, keeping Card Player Cruises as a separate business. [6][7] By 2011 she had hosted more than 90 poker cruises. [3]
In 2000 she started the Tournament Directors Association with Jan Fisher, Dave Lamb and Matt Savage, a group of 12 tournament directors in its first year that went on to write standard rules for tournament poker rooms. [7] She also helped establish the World Poker Industry Conference and the World Poker Players Conference, and co-wrote three poker books. [3]
According to PokerNews, the idea of the World Poker Tour took shape in 2001 on a trip to Costa Rica with Mike Sexton and Steve Lipscomb. [7] Johnson became the tour’s studio announcer for its first six seasons. She was later the original chairperson of the Poker Players Alliance, served on the boards of the PPA and the Ladies International Poker Series, and co-founded PokerGives.org, which helps players donate to charity through poker. [3]
Halls of Fame and honors
Women’s Poker Hall of Fame, 2008
In 2008 Johnson was one of the four inaugural members of the Women’s Poker Hall of Fame, together with Barbara Enright, Marsha Waggoner and Susie Isaacs. [8][10]
Poker Hall of Fame, 2011
After being a finalist in 2010, Johnson was voted into the Poker Hall of Fame on October 27, 2011, by a 35-person panel of Hall of Famers and media members. She and Barry Greenstein became its 41st and 42nd members, and she was the second woman inducted, after Barbara Enright in 2007. The ceremony took place on November 8, 2011, at the Rio in Las Vegas, just before the final session of the 2011 WSOP Main Event. [3] Mike Sexton spoke on her behalf at the induction. [4] Greenstein said: “I’m happy to be inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside my friend Linda Johnson who has been the most fervent ambassador for poker for as long as I can remember.” [3]
WPT Honors, 2017
On February 27, 2017, at a dinner in Beverly Hills, California, Johnson became the first recipient of the WPT Honors award. WPT CEO Adam Pliska said: “Linda played a unique role in helping shape the World Poker Tour and she embodies all that the WPT stands for.” [9]
In her own words
- “I am extremely proud and humbled to be voted into the Poker Hall of Fame. I feel lucky to have been involved in many facets of poker over the past 35 years. Being recognized by the industry is a tremendous honor.” 2011. [3]
- “I have a real passion for poker and it’s still my favorite hobby.” 2018. [10]
- “I think the best way to get more women involved is for people to be more sociable.” 2018. [10]
- “Find a mentor. Find somebody you can talk poker with and pick their brain.” Advice to women starting out, 2018. [10]
FAQ about Linda Johnson
How old is Linda Johnson?
Linda Johnson was born on October 14, 1953, which makes her 72 as of October 5, 2026. [6]
Why is Linda Johnson called the First Lady of Poker?
The nickname was given to her by fellow Hall of Famer Mike Sexton. [3]
Where is Linda Johnson from?
She is from Long Island, New York, and lives in Las Vegas. [3]
How many WSOP bracelets does Linda Johnson have?
One, won in the $1,500 Seven-Card Razz event in 1997 for $96,000. [2][5]
What is Linda Johnson’s net worth?
There is no reliable public figure for her net worth. What can be verified is her live tournament record: $467,335 in earnings as of October 5, 2026, according to PokerNews. [1]
Did Linda Johnson own Card Player magazine?
Yes. She bought it in 1993 with partners and was its publisher until 2000, when it was sold to Barry Shulman. [6]
When was Linda Johnson inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame?
She was voted in on October 27, 2011, and inducted on November 8, 2011, together with Barry Greenstein. [3]
Did Linda Johnson found the Tournament Directors Association?
Yes. She started it in 2000 with Jan Fisher, Dave Lamb and Matt Savage. [7]
Related Poker Legends
Read more about Barry Greenstein, who entered the Poker Hall of Fame with her in 2011, Barbara Enright, the first woman in the Poker Hall of Fame, and Mike Sexton, who gave her the nickname “The First Lady of Poker”.
Sources
- PokerNews, Linda Johnson player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- WSOP.com, Linda Johnson player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- WSOP.com, Barry Greenstein and Linda Johnson Join Poker’s Most Exclusive Fraternity, October 27, 2011.
- Card Player, Barry Greenstein, Linda Johnson Inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, November 9, 2011.
- Card Player, 28th World Series of Poker 1997, Seven-Card Razz results, accessed October 5, 2026.
- PokerListings, Linda Johnson player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- PokerNews, Women’s Poker Spotlight: Linda Johnson, First-Class Business Woman, by Tina Bergstrom, September 27, 2007.
- PokerNews, Women’s Poker Spotlight: Four Inductees for the Women’s Poker Hall of Fame, January 24, 2008.
- PokerNews, Linda Johnson To Receive WPT Honors Award, February 2017.
- PokerNews, Women of the WSOP: Linda Johnson is the ‘First Lady of Poker’, by Valerie Cross, June 25, 2018.
- Card Player, Poker Stories Podcast: Linda Johnson, February 21, 2018.
Last verified: October 5, 2026. Figures that change over time, such as career earnings, are given with the date they were checked.
