Jan Fisher: Poker TDA Co-Founder and Women in Poker Hall of Famer
POKER HALL OF FAME
Inducted 2014
Jan Fisher has spent nearly five decades in poker as a player, dealer, tournament organizer, instructor, writer and industry leader. Her tournament results stretch back to the 1980s, but her influence on the game reaches well beyond her recorded cashes. Fisher helped establish the Poker Tournament Directors Association in 2001 and was inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2009.
Her career provides a window into several eras of professional poker. Fisher began working in Las Vegas cardrooms before the modern tournament boom, later competed across hold'em and mixed-game formats, became involved in tournament management and broadcasting, and helped develop standards that are now used by tournament professionals around the world.
As of August 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Fisher with $87,015 in recorded live tournament earnings and results spanning more than four decades. She also remains an active tournament player, with her database record including another cash in April 2026.
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Who Is Jan Fisher?
Jan Fisher is an American poker player and longtime poker industry professional. The Poker Tournament Directors Association identifies her as a native of Seattle who began her gaming career in Las Vegas in 1977 as a poker dealer.
After gaining experience in Las Vegas cardrooms, Fisher moved into tournament management while also playing professionally. Over the following decades, her work expanded into poker education, publishing, broadcasting, event direction, charitable projects and the development of standardized tournament rules.
The Hendon Mob lists Fisher's residence as Las Vegas, Nevada. Her recorded tournament history includes seven-card stud, razz, Omaha hi-lo, H.O.R.S.E. and no-limit hold'em, reflecting considerable experience across different forms of poker.
Fisher's standing in the game is therefore not based on a single tournament victory or championship title. She has built a career that combines competition at the table with work intended to improve how poker tournaments are organized and experienced.
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From Poker Dealer to Tournament Professional
Fisher entered the gaming business in 1977 as a Las Vegas poker dealer. According to the Women in Poker Hall of Fame, she dealt for approximately 15 years before moving more heavily into semi-professional play and poker management.
Her recorded live tournament history reaches back at least to November 1984. The Hendon Mob lists a seventh-place finish in a $1,000 Seven Card Stud event at the Grand Prix of Poker in Las Vegas, worth $5,320.
That early result came well before televised poker and online qualification dramatically expanded the tournament industry. Fisher continued recording results through the following decades while becoming increasingly involved in the operational side of the game.
Her experience eventually included tournament directing, seminars and lessons, poker media work and involvement with major poker organizations. The Poker TDA also credits Fisher with directing PartyPoker.com Million events and working in several areas of poker broadcasting and tournament production.
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Jan Fisher and the Poker Tournament Directors Association
One of Fisher's most important contributions to poker came in 2001, when she co-founded the Poker Tournament Directors Association with Matt Savage, Linda Johnson and David Lamb.
The organization was created in response to a basic problem facing tournament poker at the time: rules and procedures could vary significantly between cardrooms and events. Players and tournament personnel often encountered different interpretations of similar situations depending on where they played.
The Poker TDA set out to establish common standards and procedures for tournament poker. The association says it now represents thousands of members around the world and that its rules are used broadly throughout the tournament industry.
Fisher's role in that development gives her career significance beyond her own tournament record. Standardized procedures involving betting, seating, showdowns, etiquette and other tournament situations have helped make events more consistent for players and staff.
The Poker TDA currently lists Fisher among its honorary board members.
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Jan Fisher's Tournament Poker Career
Fisher has competed in live tournaments for more than four decades. As of August 2026, The Hendon Mob lists her with $87,015 in career live tournament earnings and a best recorded cash of $7,434.
That largest cash came in November 2004, when Fisher finished ninth in the £1,500 Main Event at the Midland Masters in Walsall, England.
Her tournament record also includes several notable finishes across different games and eras:
Third place in the 1988 WSOP $500 Women's Seven-Card Stud event for $4,250.
Sixth place in the 2001 WSOP Women's Championship for $4,115.
Ninth place in the 2004 Midland Masters Main Event for a career-best $7,434.
First place in the 2007 Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge Ladies Event for $5,787.
Fourth place in a 2009 Fall Poker Round-Up Omaha Hi-Lo event for $4,343.
Sixth place in a 2012 Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza H.O.R.S.E. event for $3,900.
Fourth place in the 2021 LIPS Series Nevada State Poker Championship Deepstacks event for $4,263.
Fourth place in a mixed-game event at BARGE 2023 for $1,000.
Fourth place in the 2026 Peppermill Spring Poker Palooza Ladies Championship PKO for $680.
The results illustrate the breadth of Fisher's tournament experience. Rather than specializing exclusively in modern no-limit hold'em, she has recorded cashes in stud, razz, Omaha hi-lo, H.O.R.S.E. and other formats.
Available tournament records reviewed as of August 2026 do not list a WSOP bracelet or WSOP Circuit ring for Fisher. Her poker legacy is instead defined by the combination of a long playing career and substantial contributions away from the table.
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Women in Poker Hall of Fame
Fisher was inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2009 alongside Cyndy Violette and June Field.
The Hall of Fame recognizes women whose achievements and contributions have had a lasting impact on poker. Fisher's selection reflected a career that already included playing, tournament management, media work, education and industry leadership.
Her involvement with the organization continued after her induction. Fisher has participated in Hall of Fame ceremonies and other initiatives promoting recognition of women who helped shape poker.
The World Series of Poker also highlighted her industry standing in 2011 when Fisher emceed the WSOP's Women’s Parade of Poker Champions, an event honoring former women's bracelet winners and pioneers of the game.
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Poker Writing, Broadcasting and Education
Fisher's career has also included substantial work in poker media and education.
The Poker TDA credits her with editing Card Player magazine's Poker 101 column for 10 years. Published installments under Fisher's name addressed tournament rulings, player behavior, ethics and other practical aspects of poker.
She also worked as a live studio announcer for the Professional Poker Tour and as a statistician for the World Poker Tour for six seasons, according to her Poker TDA biography.
Education became another part of her work. Fisher conducted poker seminars and lessons and was associated with WPT Boot Camp, giving her opportunities to share practical experience gained from playing, dealing and managing tournaments.
Those roles complement her involvement with the TDA. Much of Fisher's career away from the table has centered on making poker easier to understand, better organized and more professionally administered.
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Card Player Cruises and Poker Event Management
Fisher has also had a long association with Card Player Cruises. The Poker TDA currently identifies her as a partner in the company, where she has hosted and directed poker tournaments aboard cruise ships.
The role combines several parts of her professional background. Running poker events at sea requires tournament management, dealing knowledge, customer service and an understanding of both cash games and tournament formats.
Fisher's experience with Card Player Cruises is another example of how her career developed beyond playing tournaments. She became part of the infrastructure surrounding the game while continuing to compete herself.
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Jan Fisher's Playing Style and Mixed-Game Experience
There is not enough reliable public information to assign Fisher a specific strategic label such as tight-aggressive or loose-aggressive.
Her tournament record does establish considerable experience across multiple poker disciplines. Results in seven-card stud, razz, Omaha hi-lo, H.O.R.S.E. and hold'em show that her competitive career has not been limited to a single variant.
That mixed-game background is consistent with Fisher's broader experience as a dealer, tournament director and instructor. Those roles require familiarity with rules, procedures and game formats that extend beyond standard no-limit hold'em.
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Fisher's Impact on Poker
Fisher's importance to poker is best understood by looking at the full scope of her career.
She has competed in live tournaments since the 1980s, worked as a dealer and tournament director, taught players, written about the game, participated in broadcasting and helped establish an organization devoted to standardizing tournament rules.
She was also a co-founder of Poker Gives with Mike Sexton, Linda Johnson and Lisa Tenner. The charitable initiative was created to use poker events and the poker community to support nonprofit organizations.
Her 2009 induction into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame recognized those combined contributions.
Few individual tournament results can capture that kind of career. Fisher's influence is tied as much to the professional development of tournament poker as it is to her own performance at the tables.
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Where Is Jan Fisher Now?
Fisher remains connected to both the competitive and professional sides of poker.
The Hendon Mob records tournament cashes in 2023, 2025 and 2026, including a fourth-place finish in the April 2026 Peppermill Spring Poker Palooza Ladies Championship PKO in Reno.
The Poker TDA continues to list her as an honorary board member and identifies her as a partner in Card Player Cruises.
That combination of current tournament activity and continuing industry involvement makes Fisher an unusual example of longevity in poker. Her career began as a dealer in 1977, yet she was still recording live tournament results nearly five decades later.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jan Fisher?
Jan Fisher is an American poker player, tournament professional and industry veteran. She began working as a Las Vegas poker dealer in 1977, later became involved in tournament management and professional play, and co-founded the Poker Tournament Directors Association in 2001.
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Is Jan Fisher in the Women in Poker Hall of Fame?
Yes. Jan Fisher was inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2009 alongside Cyndy Violette and June Field.
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How much has Jan Fisher won in live poker tournaments?
As of August 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Jan Fisher with $87,015 in recorded live tournament earnings. Tournament databases can change as additional results are added or corrected.
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What is Jan Fisher's biggest live tournament cash?
The Hendon Mob lists Fisher's largest live tournament cash as $7,434. She earned it by finishing ninth in the £1,500 Main Event at the 2004 Midland Masters in Walsall, England.
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Has Jan Fisher won a WSOP bracelet?
Available WSOP and Hendon Mob tournament records reviewed as of August 2026 do not list a WSOP bracelet victory for Jan Fisher. She has nevertheless recorded several notable WSOP finishes, including third place in the 1988 women's seven-card stud event and sixth place in the 2001 Women's Championship.
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Did Jan Fisher help found the Poker TDA?
Yes. Fisher co-founded the Poker Tournament Directors Association in 2001 with Matt Savage, Linda Johnson and David Lamb. The organization was established to develop more consistent rules and procedures for poker tournaments.
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Is Jan Fisher still active in poker?
Yes. Fisher's Hendon Mob record includes tournament cashes through April 2026, and the Poker TDA continues to list her as an honorary board member and partner in Card Player Cruises.