Victoria Thornton - From Playboy To Poker

A revealing look at Ultimate Aces.com spokesmodel Victoria Thornton

IF THE ACE OF SPADES is, as ESPN’s Norman Chad likes to say, “the prettiest card in the deck,” then Victoria Thornton is the living, breathing equivalent of the ace of spades. If there’s anyone involved with the world of poker with comparable ability to make men’s tongues drag on the ground, we haven’t seen her yet.
Victoria first entered the public consciousness in 2005, when, as a student at Arizona State University, she was discovered by Playboy and asked to grace the gatefold cover of the October issue. Just a few months later, she was back again, representing every frat boy’s dream on the cover of the January/February 2006 “college girls” edition.
Now 21, Victoria has made the transition from Playboy to the new national pastime, poker. Hers is the beautiful face of UltimateAces.com, a new poker lifestyle site that is changing the way poker and partying go together. You’ll be seeing plenty more of her in the months to come as the UltimateAces.com girl, but here’s an eye-opening look to get your mouth watering …

Who’s your favorite poker player?
“I admire Annie Duke, because of what she’s done for women in poker, what she’s doing off the tables and in front of Congress. And I’m a big fan of Phil Hellmuth. I kind of have a crush on him, to be honest. But I think Mike Matusow is probably a better poker player, I’ve seen him get the better of Phil a lot of times. That bluff with 8-3 at the Tournament of Champions in 2005, that was classic. I’m a huge fan of Phil, but you have to say Mike The Mouth is the better player right now.”

Who are your favorite Hollywood poker players?
“I’d have to say Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. They’re both attractive, and I love Rounders. And they were a big part of the Ante Up For Africa tournament, which was a fantastic charity event.”

Did appearing in Playboy make you feel like a celebrity?
“When I went to ASU, people would come up to me all the time and ask me to sign autographs. And when I would go out, people would notice me. I think it’s fun to be famous, but only to a certain point. I wouldn’t want to have paparazzi following me. I don’t want to be Britney Spears.”

Could you be convinced to play strip poker?
“I’m open for everything. But I’ve been brushing up on my game lately, and I’m confident that I would end up with some clothing still on. But if I’m wrong about that, hey, it wouldn’t be the first time I put everything on display … ”

What can we expect from you at UltimateAces.com?
“I’ll have a blog on the site, I’ll be at all of the parties and events, and I’ll be participating in exclusive online challenges. I love poker—I’ve played at the Playboy Mansion and I love playing online. It’s exciting to be a part of the poker world now with UltimateAces.com.”

GET TO KNOW … VICTORIA THORNTON
Age: 21
Hometown: Scottsdale, Arizona
Pets: Two Chihuahuas, Grizzly and Tipsy (“They’re boyfriend and girlfriend!”)
Favorite Sports: Basketball and tennis
Most adventurous hobby: Skydiving (“I just love it, it’s such a rush!”)
Career ambition: Becoming an actress (“I just signed on for a lead role in a film called GPS”)