Poker Pro Karina Jett Promotes Charity In Las Vegas

Las Vegas poker pro Karina Jett is well known for her charity work, and will be helping to promote the upcoming ‘Ante4Autism’ poker event at Binions in Downtown Vegas on January 31st.
The charity event, which supports autism research, is now entering its fourth year, and last year managed to raise more than $9,000. This year, the buy-ins are $150 with $75 of each entry fee going directly to ‘Autism Speaks.’ Looking ahead to next week’s tournament, Jerry Williams from co-sponsors PMD Furniture Direct, commented:
“We are very excited to have Karina Jett help us at our event. She is one of the top professional poker players in the world.”
The 37 year-old was born Karina Mikelis in Saigon to a Vietnamese mother and a Greek-American father. At nine months old, her family moved to the US after her U.S. Air Force colonel father was transferred to Florida and then Nevada.
She also comes from a strong card playing background, her mother having been a successful Seven-Card Stud player and her husband being top US poker professional Chip Jett, whom she married in 2001.
A poker pro since 1996, Karina Jett  has since amassed $488,236 in winnings, placing her in 31st position on ‘Women Poker’s All Time Money List.’
Her achievements over the years include finishing 2nd at the 2011 WSOP $1k Ladies Championship for $119,010, and in 2005, making it through to the $10k London Open at the same time as her husband. There she finished 8th for $45,000, while Chip finished 4th for $150,000. Another career highlight involved going into labor in 2003 at the Four Queens Poker Classic in Las Vegas, before then being rushed to hospital and giving birth to a daughter named Athena.
Karina Jett alongside Chip also write a “he said/she said” column for Card Player magazine.