THE ONGOING POSITIVE IMPACT OF CHRIS Moneymaker winning the World Series of Poker in 2003–the “Moneymaker Effect,” as it’s known–is still being felt intensely six years later.

But never mind all the money that Moneymaker’s victory brought in or the poker-industry jobs it created. The real highlight comes in the form of the stunningly gorgeous Simona Fusco, a model and actress who, as it turns out, got turned on to poker by watching that 2003 Series on ESPN.

In other words, if you’re ever lucky enough to share a table with this Italian born blonde, don’t forget to thank Moneymaker.

(Interview continues below pics.)
 

“I love watching poker on TV, I got really into it right along with everybody else a few years ago, it’s really awesome,” Simona told ALL IN. “I play with friends, at the casinos, sometimes at the Playboy Mansion, celebrity tournaments, that kind of stuff.

“I do pretty well, because other players, when they see me, they say, ‘Oh, look at this blonde,’ and they don’t take me really seriously. But then they’re like, ‘Hey, wait a minute. She has a brain too?