“It was impressive.”

Ana Marquez’ reaction the first time she ever walked the halls of the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino and into the Pavillion for her first World Series of Poker is the same as thousands of first-timers every single year.

“Walking up the stairs in the first door where it says ‘WSOP’ gave me goosebumps…it still does!” Marquez said. “Once inside, I had never seen such a big place full of poker tables and tournaments running. It was truly amazing.”

The World Series of Poker has that effect on people. Marquez, an 888poker ambassador and a 10-year veteran of the live poker scene picked up her first cash in a $1,000 No Limit Hold’em Tournament back in 2011, finishing in 32nd place for $14,852.

However, at her first WSOP, tournaments were not her main focus. She was busy taking advantage of the myriad of cash games that are always running 24/7.

“I was playing more cash games during my first WSOP. I took some small shots and sold some action.” Marquez recounts. “Unfortunately, back in the day, I didn’t have the opportunity we have today with the super-value satellites to the WSOP that 888poker is offering right now.”

Like many fans who make their way to the Rio for the first time, Marquez was simply happy to take all of the sights and sounds of the Amazon room in.

“The whole experience was really cool,” she said. “But seeing legends like Phil Ivey was the most exciting moment.”

Ivey sightings seem to get tougher every year, but still, to this day, players and fans who roam the halls of the WSOP will see some of the biggest stars of the poker world jumping in tournaments, taking their shots. Now, with over $1.3M in lifetime earnings, $168K of that coming in summer WSOP events, Marquez herself is one of those players that fans are looking to snap a selfie with.

When those fans ask her for some advice as they take their seat in their first tournament she uses her own early WSOP experience to give them some words of wisdom.

“Look at it like it’s just another tourney! We all know that the experience is too exciting to actually do that, so let’s just say have loads of fun and enjoy it to the max!”

But Marquez is quick to add that she learned that lesson herself in her first Main Event.

“[I remember] to play them like any other tournament. I do not like how I played the Main Event my first time because my game was too passive. The tournament was so special to me that I was too cautious and didn’t get to do much with my stack.”

It was clearly a lesson she takes to heart. In 2018 Marquez made the final table one of the toughest tournaments of the summer when he picked up over $67,000 in the $3,000 No Limit Hold’em Six Max event. This year, in 2019, Marquez bubbled the final table of the record-breaking $1,500 Millionaire Maker, finishing in 10th place for over $95,000.

Ana Marquez and thousands more will make their way to play the 2019 Main Event when it kicks off on July 3.