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Jenny Just: The Billionaire Using Poker To Transform Women’s Lives

In the bustling world of finance and technology, where fortunes are made and lost in the blink of an eye, one woman stands out—a self-made billionaire with a passion for poker. Meet Jenny Just, a name that might not be familiar to most, but her impact is undeniable. In this article, we delve into how Jenny Just is reshaping the landscape by introducing women to the game of Texas Hold’em and, in turn, unlocking their potential for wealth and success.

Last night, #WomenLeaders from across our organization and throughout the industry came together for the 2nd annual @joinpokerpower event at the @NYSE.
@JenniferJust8 started #PokerPower with the idea of empowering women to leverage their unique skill sets and self-agency.… pic.twitter.com/LOSPr9qV9C

— BNY Mellon (@BNYMellon) March 8, 2024

The Unlikely Journey

Jenny Just’s journey to the top has been anything but conventional. With a net worth estimated at one and a half billion dollars (and she insists that’s a conservative estimate), Just has quietly amassed her wealth while juggling four kids and four companies. Until recently, she preferred to remain behind the scenes, avoiding the spotlight that often accompanies extreme affluence. But then came the COVID-19 pandemic—a turning point that led her to an unexpected cause: poker.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Poker Power (@joinpokerpower)

Poker as a Toolkit

“Poker is a toolkit that’s super easy to find and use,” the 55-year-old Just asserts. On International Women’s Day in New York City a few days back, she made her debut appearance, advocating for the game that has become her mission. Her goal? To teach one million women and girls how to play Texas Hold’em. But why poker, you may thing?!

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ALSO READ: Stars Who Shine At The Poker Table

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One of the best things I did for my career was learn to play poker. Highly recommended skill for all women.

Just discovered @joinpokerpower which teaches women skills through the game of poker.

Shoutout to @MikeMeyers @ScottHickle @lylekruegedile for teaching me to play❤️…

— Jill Klinvex (@jillklinvex) January 30, 2024

The Hidden Power of Poker

Jenny Just believes that poker is more than just a card game. It’s a gateway to financial literacy, strategic thinking, and empowerment. Here’s how she’s making a difference:

1. Poker Power: In 2020, Just founded Poker Power, a company dedicated to teaching poker to women worldwide. Through a network of female instructors, an intuitive app, and high-profile events, she has introduced over 32,000 women and girls to the game across 40 countries—from the glitzy casinos of Monaco to the vibrant streets of Kenya. The app includes multiple ways to learn the way and practice against computers, while Just also hosts in-person events with businesses and their respective clients.
2. Beyond the Cards: Just emphasises that poker isn’t an end. It’s a means to an end. By mastering poker, women gain confidence, learn risk assessment, and develop capital allocation skills. These abilities are transferable to other aspects of life, including business and finance.
3. Breaking Stereotypes: The gender breakdown among competitive poker players mirrors that of options traders—less than 10% women. Having started her career as an options trader, Just witnessed firsthand how women often shy away from risk and struggle with capital decisions. Poker, she believes, can bridge this gap.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Poker Power (@joinpokerpower)

 

The Overlap with Investing

Research supports Just’s intuition. Successful investors share cognitive skills akin to those of skilled poker players. Decision-making under uncertainty, reading opponents, and managing risk—all essential in poker—are equally critical in financial markets. Notable investors like billionaire Chamath Palihapitiya and Greenlight Capital’s David Einhorn are avid poker players, blurring the lines between the green felt table and the trading floor. It is said that President Nixon funded his presidential campaign through poker, while President Eisenhower purchased his first uniform through it.

Just believes that while women get more bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees than men, but the C-suites are all highly dominated by men, across industries around the world. The Milwaukee-born Just’s main purpose is to get women more comfortable around money, as studies show most women are less confident when it comes to finances. However, their performance as traders is equal to or even better than that of men in the longer run.

Conclusion

Jenny Just’s mission extends beyond the poker table. It’s about levelling the playing field, empowering women, and ensuring they occupy positions of power. As she aptly puts it, “If you don’t understand the money and how you tie back to it, you won’t sit in that seat of power.” So, the next time you shuffle a deck of cards, remember that it’s not just about winning chips—it’s about winning at life.

Whether Just has been successful or not so far, it’s still not 100% sure. She knows that while she’s advocating the positive impacts of poker among women, there are also the negatives, which she’s working on through deeper research and studies about the game and psychological aspects around it. Read the full story in TIME magazine here.

For similar poker stories from around the world, ensure you stay tuned to GutshotMagazine.com. For more news and updates, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Telegram.

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