In 2018, Australian poker legend Jackie Glazier appeared Survivor Australia: Champions vs. Contenders, which saw 12 average Joes (the Contenders) go up against 12 extraordinary players (the Champions). Although she was ultimately voted out mid-game that season, Glazier is getting a second chance as part of the new Heroes vs. Villains season that will premiere on January 30.
With over $1.4 million in lifetime earnings, Glazier is currently 30th on Australia’s all-time money list. In 2012, she finished runner-up in the World Series of Poker Event #41: $3,000 NLHE for a career-best $458,996, and the following year he placed 31st in the Main Event for $229,281. She also captured a gold bracelet when she won the 2013 WSOP Europe Ladies Championship.
Unlike its US counterpart, which traditionally has 18-20 castaways fighting for $1 million over 26 days (previously 39 days), the Australian version has featured 24 contestants competing for $500,000 over 50 days .
She’s not here to play it safe.
— #SurvivorAU (@Survivor_AU)
Q&A with Jackie Glazier
Jackie Glazier
PokerNews had a chance to chat with Glazier ahead of the new season’s debut.
PokerNews: When and how did the opportunity to be a part of Heroes vs. Villains?
Jackie Glazier: The opportunity arose in the middle of last year. It was an unexpected but very welcome call! I was playing a poker tournament in Adelaide at the time and happened to be on break when the call came, otherwise I would have missed it. I was shaking with excitement when I returned to the tables and found it impossible to concentrate for the rest of the day.
How does it feel to get another chance to play? Did you have any regrets or unfinished business from the start?
Being asked to play on Australian Survivor once was a dream come true for me, so to be asked again was a huge privilege. I don’t have a lot of regrets about the first season, but probably my only regret is not taking the opportunity to make a move when the tribe swap happened. I think the tribe I was placed in made it difficult to play every aspect of the game, so I definitely had some work to do.
“Heroes vs Villains is such an iconic theme for Survivor and being asked to bring back a season of HvV was a huge moment for me.”
How do you feel about being put in charge of the villain’s tribe?
Heroes vs Villains is such an iconic theme for Survivor and being asked to bring back a season of HvV was a highlight for me. I knew that being placed in the villain tribe meant that a lot of the tribe would be playing a more strategic game with less emphasis on physical forces, so I was really excited about that, a complete difference from my experience in Champions vs. Contenders
I don’t really consider myself a villain, but I guess, similar to a poker tournament, I play to win and if that means I have to be ruthless, then so be it. I also think being in the hero tribe would have been a bit boring
During your first game you played with/against Russel Hantz and really came out on top. How did that feel?
I was so excited to see Russel in my first season and was surprised that no one else in the tribe knew who he was! I’ve been a huge fan of Survivor forever, so being able to play with this icon of the game was a highlight for me that season. At that first tribal council I convinced Russel not to vote for me and to draw a star on his vote so he knew I could trust him. If we both survived that night’s vote, we would form an alliance and work together.
If I hadn’t convinced him to agree, and he had voted for me, I would have gone home that night instead of him. I had many mixed emotions after returning to camp. Disappointment that we didn’t get a chance to play together longer, but also a huge relief that he went home instead of me.
Jackie Glazier at the World Series of Poker (WSOP).
Russel is widely considered one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, villain in Survivor history. Did you learn anything from him that you can incorporate into your role as a villain?
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to play together for long, but when we got to our camp area that first day of Champions vs Contenders, I noticed that while everyone else was fixated on building shelters and worried about collecting wood , Russel was off work. hard to find idols and build relationships early. I brought it to this season of HvV.
In your first season you hid the fact that you are a poker champion. Do you plan to be more upfront and honest about it?
Hiding such a large part of my life in my first season really hindered my ability to make connections with people. I felt like I was even more guarded and always had to think twice before talking about everyday experiences in my life. Obviously I’m no stranger to bluffing, but it was tiring trying to bluff to be a speed cuber for almost a month. I definitely go into Heroes vs Villains being more honest about who I am as a person.
What do you like most about the game of Survivor?
I love every aspect of Survivor, but probably my favorite part is the strategic components of the game. I know you didn’t ask, but my least favorite part is how hard it is to live in such harsh conditions. I really miss a hot shower and a comfortable bed to sleep in. I also like to brush my teeth every day!
Do you see any parallels between Survivor and poker?
Lots of! When your card is dead and you really have to find places even when you don’t have much to work with. The risk vs reward in making moves. Understand your opposition and what motivates them. Reading players and situations. There’s only one trophy/1st prize up for grabs, so I’m playing to win. Table/tribe dynamics are so important, and you need to adjust and shift gears as needed based on that.
How did you do it the first time?
Jackie Glazier
Glazier made headlines in his first season when he went head-to-head Russell Hantz, the most notorious villains in Survivor history. In only the second episode, Glazier led the charge to take out Hantz, even though he put his neck on the line in doing so. Glazier received votes in that tribal council, but was saved because Hantz, who didn’t use a Hidden Immunity Idol, became the game’s second victim.
Over the next few weeks, Glazier found his groove, thanks in large part to a series of immunity wins by the Tribe of Champions. She often struggled with the physical aspect of the challenges, but she was the tribe’s puzzle solver. A tribe swap then ensued, but despite remaining in the Champions Tribe with majority numbers, it ultimately led to Glazier’s ouster as he found himself out of an alliance led by the rugby league footballer . Matt Rogerswho claimed he just couldn’t trust Jackie.
The poker pro was finally out of the game on the 26th when the 11th contestant was voted out.
After the host Jonathan LaPaglia extinguished his torch, Glazier was gracious in defeat. As if they were opponents at the poker table, he turned back one last time and wished his former tribesmen good luck before exiting the game.
“There’s a perception as a poker player, I think the negative connotations of the game would have put a target on my back,” Glazier told Ten Daily in a post-elimination interview. “The way it was edited it turned out that’s what I did, but a grown woman traveling the Rubik’s Cube circuit… I don’t know how you’d make a living.”
When and where to look
Glazier isn’t the first poker pro to take on Survivor. Legend online Ilari Sahamies competed in the Finnish version of the show and in 2015, Anna Khait was part of the 32nd season of USA. Others to play in the past include the bracelet winner Jean-Robert BellandeRonnie Bardah and Cash Games Specialist Garrett Adelstein.
Australian Survivor: Heroes vs Villains has wrapped filming, and episodes will begin airing in Australia on Monday 30 January on 10 and 10 Play.
Chad Holloway Executive Editor USA
US Executive Editor, PokerNews Podcast co-host and 2013 WSOP bracelet winner.
