Jamie Kerstetter lives in New Jersey but makes a point to travel around the country and take part in the tournament circuit. (WSOP photo)

This month alone, there are tournament series going on across all regions of the country. For starters, the LA Poker Classic at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles is nearing its World Poker Tour Main Event, and West Palm Beach, FL just finished playing host to the World Series of Poker Circuit.

In between both of those destinations sits Blackhawk, CO and the Golden Gates Casino. Hundreds of players made their way “up the mountain” to play in the Heartland Poker Tour event with New Jersey’s Jamie ‘mmmWawa’ Kerstetter among them.

The newest member of the BorgataPoker.com roster makes her way across the country year-round to play in tournaments and uses poker as a vessel to see new places. A former lawyer, Kerstetter says she enjoys the freedom that poker gives her to travel after she first started gaining air miles as an adult.

“The most alluring thing for me (and probably for most people who hate their jobs) was free time and the autonomy to make my own decisions. But I also enjoy being able to make some last minute impulsive trips when I get the itch to go somewhere new,” said Kerstetter. “I used to experience pangs of homesickness when I traveled, but lately I get bored very quickly when my life is routine at home and I enjoy planning the next trip.”

The new year has been a busy one for Kerstetter with trips to Oklahoma and Colorado along with a stint in New Jersey already on her odometer. As a means of saving on expenditures such as hotels, poker players will travel together in pairs and Kerstetter’s travel companion for most of the last full year has been fellow New Jersey pro, Chris Horter.

Horter has accompanied Kerstetter to a few stops this year and the two made waves on social media last year as they made their way cross-country in an RV from New Jersey to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. Accompanied by their dog, Crouton, Kerstetter, and Horter chronicled their trip across America’s heartland and had their relationship grow as a result.

Kerstetter’s dog, Crouton, plays the role of co-pilot with NJ online pro Chris Horter. (Submitted photo)

“It’s definitely a bonding experience to deal with the ups and downs of planning trips and spending 24/7 with each other. We’re already planning another cross country adventure and taking a different route to hit up new campgrounds and hikes this time around.”

Kerstetter has become known for her work off the felt and inside the broadcasting booth as live streams have grown in popularity in the past few years. Most of the streams she participates in are at The Borgata but her first time participating in commentary came in Venice, Italy which Kerstetter also claims is her favorite place that she has traveled to during her career.

“I had the time of my life at WPT Venice. The fear of being in a new place by myself where I didn’t know anyone and didn’t know the language led to some serious anxiety at first. Getting over that and then exploring the city, making a lot of new friends, and getting to try out commentary for the first time was a huge growth opportunity for me.”

Given how many travel destinations there are to choose from on the poker calendar, Kerstetter says the things that bring her back to places a second time are the field quality, how well the tournament is run, and if the “location offers something unique that I can’t get at home.”

Kerstetter is often on the move and she keeps her Twitter followers plenty abreast of where she is headed next. As the poker season shifts toward the spring, there are many tournament stops to visit and it’s a safe bet that Kerstetter will be on the grind searching for new treasure.