Making a WSOP final table is a bucket-list item for any poker player.
For Jessica Odom, it was a dream moment that let her experience one of poker's greatest moments from the other side of the box.
As a longtime WSOP dealer, Odom has spent many years watching poker's biggest moments unfold inches away. This week it was her time in the spotlight, as she made a deep run in the $500 Industry Employees event.
As the event broke for dinner with 18 players remaining from 906 entries, Odom was still standing.
“I have a little under 30 bigs," she tells us. "I feel good about that. I've been surviving all day. It’s been a roller coaster but I'm excited.”
From bar poker to Vegas
Odom's poker journey began in a local Texas tavern, where her friends told her she needed to learn the game ahead of a trip to Las Vegas.
Back home, she became a regular on the Dallas bar poker circuit.
"My girlfriend and I used to go almost every Thursday or Friday," she says. "We just fell in love with the game."
That passion led to a second career – dealing. Despite having no experience, she decided to shoot straight for the top.
"I thought I should try to be a dealer for the WSOP,” Odom says.
A dream run at the WSOP
She's now entering her eighth year as a dealer in Las Vegas and has become one of the best at her craft. Her reward was dealing at the feature tables for the $10K WSOP Main Event.
"The thing I love about dealing is I get to see everything," she says. "I have a front-row seat to the game and can watch the best of the best. I get to learn a lot."
When she's dealing, Odom pays close attention to the details that separate great players from the rest of the pack.
"I really pay attention to bet sizing and what patterns people are doing."
But, despite spending years around poker, she still considers herself a student of the game.
"I do try to study a little bit," she says. "I've been fortunate to meet many great people in poker who have given me study tips. I check out tools like GTO Wizard and I watch a lot of poker on TV."
For the love of the game
Today, poker remains a passion that complements both Odom's real estate career and her work as a traveling dealer.
“I've been in real estate for the last 21 years," she tells us. "That's my main career, but I do poker on the side. It's my fun side hustle."
Working inside the game has also been an education. But opportunities to play major tournaments are few and far between for Odom.
"I don’t play cash games, only tournaments," she says. "I work so much between real estate and poker, I don't get to play many multi-day tournaments. This employee event is like a treat for me."
Whether she's in the dealer box controlling the game or battling professionals and recreationals for stacks, Odom's love for poker remains.
"I just love the game. It's really fun. I love the community, and it's just a really good environment for me when I get to deal and play a little every year. Summer camp at the WSOP is the best place to be."
Most Las Vegas summers, Odom helps create WSOP memories for other players. This time, she got one of her own.
Jessica Odom finished ninth in Event #3: $500 Industry Employees No-Limit Hold'em for a career high score of $4,828.
Fellow dealer Jerome Neppl went on to win the bracelet and the $64,983 top prize. Read how he captured the title below.
Additional images courtesy of the WSOP.
