PocketFives had the opportunity to chat with Stephanie stephhub31 Hubbard (pictured), who always knew the game of poker growing up, but started playing No Limit Hold’em in her college years. Before the launch of regulated online poker in New Jersey, you would more than likely have found her at a Borgata or Parx live event grinding long hours on the felt when she was not spending long hours at the pharmacy taking care of her patients.

With over $132,000 in live and online cashes, some of Hubbard’s notable accomplishments include a two wins in the PartyPoker/Borgata $5,000 Guarantee, a second place in the network’s $10,000 Guarantee, and a seventh place finish in the $50,000 Guarantee Sunday Major for a total of $6,158. Visit PocketFives’ New Jersey poker community for the latest news and discussion from New Jersey players.

PocketFives: Give us your thoughts and experiences of regulated online poker in New Jersey.

Stephanie Hubbard: I think it is great that there is regulated poker in New Jersey. It allows poker players to play on regulated poker sites without having to leave the country to play or play illegally.

My experiences so far on the New Jersey sites have been mostly positive, minus a few glitches in certain tournaments with the software. I feel that the PocketFives community and forums have allowed people to state their opinions on things that they feel should be fixed. Positive changes have come out of these discussions and it is nice to know that the legalized New Jersey sites are using PocketFives to obtain feedback from the players.

PocketFives: How did you get started in poker originally? Why was it appealing?

Stephanie Hubbard: I got started in poker originally in college. My boyfriend at the time played online a lot. When I would go over to his dorm, I would watch his friends and he play online. I always knew the game of poker in general from playing at family parties and high school parties with friends for low stakes. I never really played Hold’em until end of college when I felt comfortable enough to make an account and venture out on my own playing online. I dabbled a little in between downtime with pharmacy school, but there wasn’t much downtime to be had.

I think what appealed to me most were the math and odds components of poker. I was always good at math and statistics and those kinds of skills you need to be successful at in poker. Also, being an all-state softball player in high school and having to give that up when going to pharmacy school, I needed something to fulfill that competitive void. Making some extra cash on the side for a poor college student was a nice bonus as well!

PocketFives: What are your favorite New Jersey online poker sites to play on and why?

Stephanie Hubbard: My favorite site is PartyPoker. I feel their tournaments and player pools fit my style of play and I have had more success on this site.

PocketFives: What has been your most memorable cash or win on the New Jersey sites?

Stephanie Hubbard: So far, my most memorable cash has been final tabling the $50,000 Guarantee on Party back in June. I have won the nightly $5,000 and $10,000 on Party a handful of times, but no five-figure score yet. Also, I won a seat into the Borgata opening event in April for $40 and parlayed that into a $1,700 cash.

PocketFives: How many hours do you dedicate to poker a week?

Stephanie Hubbard: Unfortunately, I work full-time as a registered pharmacist doing 13-hour shifts. On my days off, I try to play online, but due to my crazy schedule, that only allows me to play about two nights per week if I am lucky.

PocketFives: Do you feel online poker has helped improve your live game?

Stephanie Hubbard: I feel that online poker has afforded me the luxury of being able to fire up a tournament when I come home from work without having to drive to a casino to play. So, yes, I feel I am able to see more hands online, therefore creating more dynamics/scenarios that I might face another time live or online.

PocketFives: What do you do away from poker? What else interests you?

Stephanie Hubbard: Living on the Jersey shore, I love going to the beach and doing outdoor things. I love most sports, watching sports, and spending time with family. Being a pharmacist, I enjoy helping people medically on a regular basis.