Nevada Gov. Candidate Makes Final Table at Vegas Charity Poker Event

Danielle Ford is hoping for a stronger showing on Nov. 3 than she managed on Oct. 3. Fifth place in a charity poker tournament is respectable, but anything short of first place in the Nevada governor’s race is a loss.

Ford spent last Saturday reaching the final table at the “Every Hand Makes a Difference” tournament. Hosted by the Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) in Las Vegas, the event benefited the Junior League of Las Vegas. It drew a mix of poker pros, local personalities, and invited bounty players to the Via Brasil Steakhouse in Summerlin.

Party Pooper

Ford, currently a member of the Nevada State Board of Education, is running with no political party against Democratic candidate Aaron Ford (no relation) and incumbent Republican Governor Joe Lombardo.

Her campaign website states that she is running as a “Nevada-first nonpartisan” hoping to “bring practical systems repair to the public systems Nevada families rely on every day.”

Right now, though, her odds of winning are so long, prediction markets haven’t even bothered to set them. Polymarket has Ford at about 55.5% to 56.5% and Lombardo at about 43.5% to 44.5%. Polls put Danielle Ford at roughly 2% to 7%.

Blind Escape

When she isn’t campaigning or drafting school policy, Ford, who earned her spot on the ballot by gathering signatures, told PokerNews she hits the felt “so that I can mentally step away from the stresses of work and life.”

“It’s one of the only things with enough aspects to keep me locked in,” the Las Vegas native said. “It’s almost meditative for me.”

Other guest bounties in Saturday’s CSOP event included MGM Resorts International poker executive Sean McCormack and 2013 WSOP Main Event winner Ryan Riess, both of whom also reached the final table.

The trophy and top prize of $2,000 went to Tamar Berkowitz of Volunteers of Las Vegas, who bested Riess in heads-up action. Reiss took $1,500 for second.

Ford’s fifth-place finish afforded her two Vegas Golden Knights hockey tickets, which she called “great extra bonuses.”