Lacey Jones plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

When EPSN hired models to add some glamour to a poker tournament in 2005, they were not expecting one of them to be battling it out for the final table.

But Lacey Jones isn’t your typical model.

Having grown up in San Antonio, Texas, she was introduced to cards by her grandmother who taught her how to play Stud. Lacey, who had been modeling from the age of ten, turned down offers of modeling work in Asia to focus on her studies. She worked in a local bar during her time at the University of Arizona, where she completed her BA in Political Science and French, and would regularly hunt down the afterhours home games. Coming up against the guys she had been serving drinks to all night meant she usually left with more than she arrived with.

Lacey’s performance in the ESPN tournament didn’t go unnoticed and soon she was taking lessons and advice from other professionals in order to improve her own game. Her advice for people in a similar position is: “Practice as much as you can, see a lot of hands, read books and follow players you feel are most like the player you want to become. Number one rule: never give up!”

Once again she had caught the eye of those watching and the following year she was center stage at the WSOP, as the official hostess and bracelet presenter. More high-profile TV appearances followed, including Poker2Nite and Full Tilt Poker’s Doubles Championship.

Lacey has cashed in a number of major tournaments, most notably in the WSOP. She finished in the cash in the 2006 WSOP $1,000 Ladies Event, and replicated the achievement in June 2010 by finishing 41st out of 1054 players in that year’s Ladies event.

While off screen, Lacey is keen to share her passion for poker and is currently working on her charity for US troops. Her aim is to create a USO Poker Tour which provides a morale boost for the men and women stationed around the world.

Look for Lacey Jones online at Full Tilt Poker.