Shannon Elizabeth, born Shannon Elizabeth Fadal, is an American actress, probably still best known for playing Russian exchange student Nadia in the ‘American Pie’ franchise. However, having played in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in 2005, in which she finished just outside the money, and cashed, albeit for small amounts, in several WSOP events in 2006, Elizabeth proclaimed, ‘Poker has become my second career’.
Elizabeth achieved her best live cash, $125,000, when finishing third, behind Paul Wasicka and Chad Brown, in the NBC National Heads-Up Championship at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas in 2007, but thereafter he poker career failed to take off in the way she anticipated. Fast forward a dozen years or so and Elizabeth has cashed in a total of 13 major poker tournaments, for total live earnings of $235,866. However, since mid-2010 she has cashed just once, for $11,635, when finishing 165th in the $5,300 No Limit Hold’em Championship Event at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open in 2013. Elizabeth is still billed, in some quarters, as a ‘leading celebrity poker player’ but, although she still plays recreationally, it would appear that, in terms of tournament poker, her ‘second career’ is indefinitely on hold.
