Heather Alcorn is one of those players who knows the game inside and out, and from both sides of the table. With extensive experience as both a poker dealer and player, she’s also tasted the type of success in each field that few have enjoyed.
Awarded the accolade of ‘Dealer of the Year’ in 2019, the post-COVID era has seen her dial back from dealing and pile in on playing. The results were there for all to see this week as she ran all the way to second place in the $1,000 Ladies Championship, missing out on the top spot to defending champion Shiina Okamoto.
“I was well prepared,” Alcorn tells PokerOrg’s Craig Tapscott in our exclusive interview, above. “I felt very comfortable playing her [Okamoto]. I regret a little bit that I didn’t watch her final table from last year, I should have done my homework."
![Shiina Okamoto Ladies Championship]()
Ladies champion Shiina Okamoto.
Omar Sader
“She actually played me a little lighter than she did other people, maybe there’s a little mutual respect there.”
Okamoto’s incredible run in the Ladies Championship — runner-up in ‘23, winner in ‘24 and ‘25 — has drawn plenty of admirers from across the poker world. Alcorn is one of them, but knows she has what it takes to compete with the back-to-back champ.
“We played a lot of heads-up hands and she gave off a few tells very early on, so honestly I was very comfortable playing her. She plays well and she runs really well: that’s a hard combination.”
Catching up in the Lounge
Watch the full interview above, recorded live at the PokerOrg Legends Lounge at the World Series of Poker, for more details on Alcorn’s recent Ladies event run, as well as:
- How dealing and playing poker can be a perfect mix for any student of the game
- Her attitude to Ladies events in general
- The trouble with staffing the WSOP
- Her experience dealing the WSOP Main Event final table
- The challenges involved in teaching a generation of dealers to slide, instead of pitch cards
Watch the 15-minute video above now to hear more insights from a player with a unique perspective on the game and the wider poker industry.
