Shannon Elizabeth Biography

Shannon Elizabeth Poker

Name: Shannon Elizabeth Fadal
DOB: 9/7/1973
Resides: Los Angeles, CA
Her parents Gerald Fadal and Patricia Abbot raised her in Huston, Texas. During her school years she became introduced to poker, but enjoyed cheerleading, tennis and Krav Maga, an Israeli hand to hand combat method. She found her way into a music video that was being shot in the Huston area. That led to modeling and later movies. Her breakout movie was American Pie, where she had a nude scene that caught everyone’s attention. To date she has more than 35 film and television successes on her acting resume. She also has James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing as a video game voice over on her resume as well.

On the personal side, she was married to Joseph Reitman in June 2002, for 3 years, after 7 years dating. At one point the two acted together in Tomcats and American Pie 2, giving Reitman some acting credit as well. In March 2005 they separated prior to an official divorce filing that came in June. Currently she is seriously dating Michael Hyde, who is an active duty Air Force Fireman.
Her personal mission focuses on animal rescue efforts through an organization she founded, Animal Avengers. It is dedicated to finding a home for wayward pets and animals, reduce overpopulation from the stray and feral animals, and promotion of responsible pet ownership, while standing against animal cruelty. Bodog Poker has organized several charity events to raise money for Animal Avengers.
Animal Avengers, a non-profit animal rescue organization founded by Elizabeth, is dedicated to rescuing and finding a home for homeless pets, reducing pet overpopulation, promoting responsible pet guardianship and preventing animal cruelty. Among the many fund-raising events, Team Bodog raised over $50,000 for Animal Avengers in a celebrity poker night on October 8, 2005. The event was hosted by noted tournament director Matt Savage. Over the past year Shannon Elizabeth has participated in numerous other Bodog-sponsored charity events as well.
Her Poker Life:

Her introduction to poker began w/ stud and draw. She was taught and actively played with her family in Texas, while she was growing up. She both enjoyed the game, and became quite good at it. When she reached Hollywood, she was introduced to a new poker game, which she really did not take to at first, Texas Holdem. The idea that she couldn’t discard or draw a new card was very disconcerting to her. That changed when she became friends with Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak and Jennifer Tilly. Together the poker pros helped her develop her Texas Hold’em Poker Skill. This foundation lead to the bigger and better things the poker world has seen from her.
She made her first public poker appearance in Celebrity Poker Showdown, then later in Calvin Klein’s 2 Annual Charity Celebrity Poker Tournament. In the latter event, she cased in 6th place. 2005 became the year the poker world would take her more seriously. She entered the World Series of Poker Main Event. In the first venture, she did come close to the cash, however missed it. Nicky Hilton hosts a New Years Eve Poker Tournament, and in 2006 Shannon Elizabeth played and won, later mentioning that she was visiting Las Vegas as often as 3 times a month honing her talent, and skills. It wet her appetite for tournament poker. In January 2006, Caesars Palace opened a new poker room with a Celebrity Poker event, where Shannon Elizabeth took home her first win. She beat 83 other professional actors/actresses and professional poker players, to bring in the mere 55 thousand dollars. That was all she needed, since then poker has become her second career.
The same year she won her first cash in a World Series of Poker Event (WSOP). She finished 201st in a 1k dollar NL Holdem Event, and added to that with an additional two cashes in the same WSOP. With those 2006 WSOP successes she competed and won a position as a new representative of the major poker brand Full Tilt Poker. Later she signed a contract with Poker Royalty, a poker marketing representation agency.

Shannon is a strong believer in Karma, believing that being a happy, outgoing and giving person would bring positive results both in life and cards. As a way to further bolster her positive energy, she lights sage prior to every tournament she enters. It helps her remain calm enough to compete even at the highest level poker tournament.
With wins like the one’s in 2006, 2007 WSOP events, and the NBC HeadsUp Championship 2007 it is obvious to the poker world that this is one woman who is not going to be leaving the felt any time soon.