Poker pro and recent Amazing Race competitor Tiffany Michelle is coming to town this weekend for the Vancouver Poker Tournament with hopes of hitting the jackpot - and not just at the poker table.
"I always end up with crushes on Canadian guys," the comely brunette confessed to 24 hours, adding she wants to meet some local guys while she's here.
Vancouver men hoping to impress her should note they don't have to try too hard.
"Canadian guys don't have to do [anything]," she said. "It's just hard not to notice them."
It's also hard not to notice Michelle these days. Last year, the California native (a.k.a. "Hot Chips") placed 17th out of a total of 6,844 players at the World Series of Poker Championship, making her the first female to place that high a rank in the tournament's history.
"I just found that I had a really good knack for the game," she said.
As for competing in what has typically been considered a man's domain, the self-declared "competitive female" relishes the challenge.
"For me, personally, I love it," she said. "I've always enjoyed competing against men."
That being said, Michelle's developed close relationships with fellow female poker players. Poker pro Maria Ho is one of her best friends and was also her teammate on Amazing Race.
"You definitely seek out those female friendships," Michelle said. "There's a nice support system with the women in the game."
Such support came in handy when Michelle and Ho appeared as the only female competitors on CBS's popular reality series, The Amazing Race. Though the pair were sent packing after week seven, Michelle has no regrets.
"It was an amazing experience," she said. "I think we made it a lot further than we thought we were going to."
Michelle is playing at River Rock Casino from Sun., Nov. 15 to Thurs. Nov. 19.
Both she and Ho will sign autographs Sunday night.
