Globe-trotting adrenaline junkie Claire Jedrek is a girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. Equally at ease on the dirt trail as she is under the bright camera lights, the British-Chinese stunner was born for the big stage – quite fittingly, then, that she is the host of reality TV show Asian Poker Showdown, which goes to air in February.

“[Poker] is as much of a social game as it is a card game,” says Claire in an exclusive interview with Baller. “Players network and forge friendships and bonds – kind of like golf, but younger and sexier. It was an easy decision for me to get on board with Showdown. For the show, we’ve got a really good mix of personalities. Edward and Joe are really nice guys, Howie is a little quiet and shy, but a real riot after a few Pure Blondes. Derek can come across as slightly arrogant on TV, but off-screen he’s actually a really cool person. Joachim has his own unique sense of homour. And the girls, Joy and Daphne, are really fun to be with.”

“The show is breaking new ground in Asia because there hasn’t been a lot of poker on TV in Asia. Showdown isn’t like Poker After Dark or High Stakes Poker in that it’s a reality show, the focus is on the people and the lifestyle as much as on the game itself. There’s more to the poker lifestyle than just playing cards and stacking chips.”

“We’ve taken eight ordinary people; regular guys and girls you’d meet in the street, and introduced them to this life. For me, it was very interesting to see how they evolved over the course of the show.”

As the presenter of the show, Claire appears alongside celebrity judge and mentor Bryan Huang, one of Asia’s most successful poker players. The Singapore national is a Baller columnist as well as a member of Team PokerStars Pro Asia, and boasts more than US$300,000 in live tournament winnings.

“Bryan is someone I have a lot of respect for,” says Claire. “I think it’s amazing that he’s achieved so much at such a young age. If you look at what he’s done, it’s hard not to be impressed. He is a fantastic role model for any aspiring poker player.”

To read Claire’s interview in full, SUBSCRIBE to the online edition of Baller now from as little as $2.99 per month – PokerManila members get 33% off!