Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWire) -- 10/21/2014 --The Moth, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling, has released a podcast of Annie Duke’s story of perseverance in her childhood. The story, which Duke titles “A House Divided,” describes the relationship she shared with her parents during childhood, and how those experiences and journeys have unconventionally shaped the person she has become today.

As a World Series of Poker champion and prominent public speaker, Duke uses her story to motivate and encourage others that they can achieve success no matter the obstacles life hands them. Transporting the audience from her childhood living room floor to the smoke-filled poker table with men twice her age, her story comes full circle as she realizes that the parenting from both her mother and her father would eventually lead her to achieve success in all her endeavors, especially at the poker table.

Duke describes childhood card games in the presence of her father. “You don’t lose, and you certainly aren’t allowed to quit,” says Duke. “So while every night I would throw a tantrum and throw the cards against the wall and storm out of the room in tears, five minutes later I would always come back begging for more.”

Ultimately, it was Annie’s brother who suggested she try her hand professionally at the poker table, at the Crystal Lounge & Casino in downtown Billings, Montana. It was here where Annie Duke found her calling. “When I sat down and I started playing, it was the first time that I actually felt peace,” recalls Duke. “It was the first time in a long time that I wasn’t afraid. And I realized I had spent all of this time trying to make sure that I wasn’t like my mother and I was just like my dad, but when I sat down at the poker table, that’s when I made my way back to both of them.”

To hear the whole story, please visit Annie’s page on The Moth website. To stay up to date on the latest projects and appearances from Annie, or to read her thoughts on current events, please visit her website today.

About Annie Duke
Annie Duke has a strong track record of success in the world of poker. She first burst onto the scene at the 1994 World Series of Poker, where she cashed in three events including making the final three tables of the Main Event. A decade later, she won her first WSOP bracelet and in 2010 became the NBC National Heads-Up Champion when she bested runner-up, Erik Seidel. Duke has appeared on Celebrity Apprentice and tutored Hollywood A-listers including Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on the finer points of the game of poker. She is also the author of three books on poker: Decide to Play Great Poker; Heads-Up Tournament Poker; and The Middle Zone. She also authored an autobiography, How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and Won Millions at the World Series of Poker.

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For more information, please visit http://annieduke.com/