Event 13: Deal Or No Deal

$350 + $50 Big Stack NLH

 Mary Beth Dealing at Borgata

One suitcase contained $1,000,000 the other $25 when Mary Beth Salmieri got one final offer from the banker on the hit game show Deal or No Deal.

"I truly believed I had the million," says the 28 year-old, who was named Holtzheimer at the time, "but I had to take it," she says when offered $341,000.

She knew it didn't matter what was in case #13, because a guaranteed 6-figure payday would be life changing. Salmieri's poker sense was to lock in the guarantee instead of rolling the dice and ending up with only $25.

In the end, Salmieri's initial instincts were right as her lucky number held the $1,000,000, which she sold to the banker for one-third of the amount. "I was heartbroken," she said when they opened the case and it revealed the show's top prize.

Salmieri's thrill of a lifetime happened in 2008 and money was just part of it.

 Mary Beth & Annie Duke

During the show's three hour taping pro player Annie Duke made a guest appearance to help sweeten the pot and experience, "I had no clue," says Salmieri, who listed Duke as one of her poker idols during auditions.  "My mouth dropped when she walked out, it was completely surreal."

Salmieri says she was the only person picked out of 10,000 hopefuls who lined up in Center City Philadelphia for a 30 second chance to impress the show's producers. Her spirited personality and story of how she would use the winnings to start a poker bankroll were enough to land Salmieri on the show three months later.

Salmieri was picking off cases one-by-one, when Duke appeared and tempted the Deptford, New Jersey girl who now calls Los Angeles home. The banker's offer was a total of $158,000, which included a $25,000 poker package featuring private lessons from Duke.

But Salmieri said, "no deal," and stayed the course until she was down to three fateful cases, which you can watch below.

In the end, Salmieri didn't take home the $1,000,000, but she did become friends with Duke who gave her lessons and helped launch Salmieri's poker career.  "She taught me a lot about the math and odds and bet sizes," says Salmieri, who finished 22nd in this event for $952.

"A lot of what she taught me is in her new book," says Salmieri, who admits to plugging Decide to Play Great Poker any chance she gets, adding "I just read it again the other night."

Since winning big on the show, Salmieri gave up her job as a retail district manager and is in the business of planning weddings and playing poker because, "I can do what I want," which she says confidently and with a smile.

Salmieri plays poker several times a week, but doesn't call herself a professional even though she dates one in "Hollywood" Dave Stann. For now she settles for the title of professional amateur and is focused on making the right decisions both in poker and in life.

"I don't regret it," Salmieri says about taking the banker's deal, "but I wouldn't go as far as saying I would make the same decision if I had to do it all over again. Annie compared it to folding pocket 5s when your opponent has aces and a five hits the flop. It was the right decision at the wrong time."

Deal or No Deal
March, 2008