New York's Nan Min is heading to Las Vegas after winning a Golden Passport into the ClubWPT Gold $5M Invitational Freeroll thanks to Jamie Kerstetter's social media giveaway. The event, the largest freeroll in poker history, will take place during the World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.
https://twitter.com/JamieKerstetter/status/1857163175327920567
Min, a trained research scientist with a PhD in molecular neurobiology, serves as vice president of Pocket Queens, a nonprofit that helps women get into poker. Min was born in Korea and raised in Brazil before coming to New York at a young age, where she still resides.
Min has more $140,149 in Hendon Mobearnings, including winning the November 2023 Borgata Poker Fall Mini-Series $1,000 Survivor for $10,000.
PokerNewscaught up with Min to talk about her Pocket Queens, helping women get into poker and preparing for the trip to Las Vegas.
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PokerNews: When and how did you win your seat into the Freeroll? How did you first hear about it?
Nan Min:I love Jamie Kerstetter. Applied to ClubWPT Gold via her code right away. Jumped in her contest (and) got nominations from Katherine Brandt, (my) bestie Dayanna Ciabaton, who also won a pass (and) Victoria Livschitz.
I’m over the moon! I was heading to WPT in December on a shoestring budget, but now I can experience it like the queen. I truly am! It’s humbling to be acknowledged. I just try to keep it real, and when karma throws some icing on the cake, you know it’s a good day!
When and how did you learn to play poker?
I had played exactly 13 tournaments over a span of 5-6 years before 2017, with an ITM rate of about 50%— purely beginner’s luck! Then, in 2017, I entered a satellite for a seat to a charity event called Justice is Blinds with Vanessa Selbst (didn't win, but that’s when I officially caught the poker bug).
I was “adopted” by a lovely group called Full House Poker in NYC, led by Momska (now in her 70s!). My training ground then became the Broadway Poker League, founded by Antony Rapp (of RENT fame). As the name suggests, it was filled with Broadway stars—Lorinda Lisitza, Colin Anderson, Derrick Williams, Justin Sargent, and 40-60 others!
Currently, I’m on the board of Pocket Queens, a volunteer-driven nonprofit study group with the mission to increase representation, educate, and support women in poker.
What’s your poker experience like? What do you usually play? How often?
I love poker—it's a perfect match for my analytical skills and keen understanding of people. I strictly play NLH tournaments, while I play cash games mainly to rack up comps. Since there's no legal poker in NYC, I play a “micro” 25c/50c weekly home game with some of the greatest people. I also drive 2+ hours to Philly (Live! And Rivers), Atlantic City (Borgata or Harrah’s) or Connecticut (Foxwoods) twice a month. As a result, most of my poker time is spent traveling to major series 4-6 times a year. Limited only by a humble/tiny bankroll.
Have you ever played a WPT before? Any other major tournaments? Any major poker accomplishments?
PokerStars and WPT are my favorite brands. I’m especially fond of the WPT, having attended both last year’s Wynn Winter Classic and the WPT at Sea.
And as for my “fun” accomplishments, I recently KO-ed two MBLs on my quest King of poker at Borgata: Delin Betances and Erik Kratz.
What would it mean to you to win the freeroll for $1,000,000? How would it change your life? Would you make any big purchases?
Winning the free roll would be a life-changing dream. I’d officially retire, sell the house, and become a poker nomad—traveling, playing poker, flag-chasing, and continuing to advocate for women in poker and, most importantly, for social justice.
*Photos courtesy Nan Min
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