Photos by Brian B. Hayes

WE KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING: What kind of a name is Jon for a smoking-hot woman? Actually, what kind of a name is it for any woman, regardless of attractiveness?

In the case of Jon Mack, it’s a nickname that developed from Jeanne-Marie, the French name she was given at birth.

And we’re sure you’ll all agree, she looks a lot better in the name than John Hennigan, John Cernuto, John Juanda, or Johnny Chan.

Versatility is an excellent trait to bring to the poker table, and Mack certainly boasts that in spades. She’s a model, an actress, and a musician who fronts her own band and writes and records her own songs. If she can do all that, surely she can shift gears from being an aggressive maniac to a trap-setting rock from one Hold ’Em hand to the next.

Jon will be the first to admit, however, that she isn’t yet as accomplished a poker player as she is in her various entertainment-business pursuits.

“I dabble in poker,” she told ALL IN. “I have several people very close to me that play avidly, but I’m a novice, and I’m just trying to learn from everyone else.

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“I used to play as a kid, just for fun, but actually sitting down at a table with people that play all the time, that’s something new. I’ve only been doing it about a year and a half. I’ve played at casinos and at private games, and I absolutely love the game. It’s fascinating. It’s not just about the cards; that’s what I like about it. I think being an actor definitely helps me. It’s a game about reading people and what they want to give away versus what they inadvertently give away. And as an actor, I love bluffing, of course.

“I’m unfortunately so busy right now that I don’t have time to get serious about poker, but when my schedule calms down a bit from what I’m focusing on right now, I could see myself getting much more into it.”

So what’s keeping Jon so busy? For one, her burgeoning music career. As the frontwoman of the electronica/industrial/alternative rock band Auradrone, she released her debut album, Whitelite Britelite, in March 2009, a labor of love that took her nearly three years to complete.

She also recently finished shooting Unearthed, a movie for the Sci-Fi Channel in which she has more screen time than for any other role in her career—a career that first gained notice when she played Ava Gardner in the 1999 HBO film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. Other recent credits include Saw VI and 2010 releases Hollywont and The Confidant.

“I get asked all the time whether I prefer music or acting, and it’s a tough call. I love both,” she explained. “With music, I can control it. I can make music anytime I want. And it’s freedom of expression. Music is such a beautiful thing, it’s so powerful. But acting, it’s so fun to be able to step outside yourself and become someone else. There’s great teamwork, great energy on sets, making something happen with a team of people. But with acting, you wait for the job; with music, I can do it anytime I want.”

When she isn’t working, Jon’s hobbies include a wide array of physical activities, including yoga, pilates, belly dancing, kickboxing, martial arts, poi spinning, t’ai chi, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. But just because she takes fitness seriously, that doesn’t mean she’s opposed to a lazier day spent sitting around a poker table.

“All things in balance and moderation, that’s the key,” she said. “If all you do is sit at the table all day every day, that’s not so good. But in moderation, it’s fine. And you are burning mental calories at the poker table. I’ve played enough to know that.”

Considering Mack’s penchant for wearing more than one hat, don’t be surprised if the model/actress/musician decides to add another line to her already stocked resume someday: poker player.