Shana Hiatt: Poker Hottie and TV Host
Poker is a family of card games that is so popular, that is practically has a culture of its own. One big reason for this is the establishment of the World Series of Poker in 1970, which gave poker a significant boost in popularity that has, since then, grown exponentially, thanks to televised poker games and online poker. Given how widely played poker is, it is no surprise that there are famous poker players and other kinds of poker celebrities; known for their skill, their talent, or perhaps even for their good looks.
One such poker celebrity is New Jersey native, Shana Hiatt. While she is not a professional poker player, she is still a prominent figure in the poker scene. She has hosted several poker shows and is an avid online poker player and casino-goer. This army brat was born in 1975, and was Miss Hawaiian Tropic USA in 1995. She studied broadcast journalism in Burlington County College, but left college at age eighteen when she was discovered by model scout, Ray Manzella. Ray Manzella is responsible for making the careers of such famous sex symbols as Jenny McCarthy and Pamela Anderson, and thanks to him, this alluring poker hottie is not only a commercial model who has graced the pages of Playboy magazine, but a presenter and host for several different poker-related shows and events as well.
Shana Hiatt has hosted the first three seasons of the World Poker Tour, which is a show on the Travel Channel that features Texas Hold'em poker tournaments. She has also hosted poker TV shows such as the "National Heads-Up Poker Championship," and "Poker After Dark," on NBC. Due to pregnancy though, she has left the shows and has been replaced by Leeann Tweeden and Marianela Pereyra respectively. In 2002, Shana Hiatt was named the Keystone Light Girl, and was number seventy-five in the "Hot 100 of 2005" list of Maxim Magazine. This talented poker celebrity's hosting career hasn't just been limited to poker though. Shana Hiatt has be a guest host on E! Network's "Wild On!" show, and has even made appearances on the silver screen, in movies such as "Must Love Dogs" and "Grandma's Boy."
While her experience as host in the World Poker Tour certainly played a big part in boosting her career, she did not leave the show on amicable terms. She sued the WPT's producers to prevent them from, in turn, preventing her from working with a rival network.