What is Beth Shak’s net worth?
Beth Shak is an American professional poker player, businesswoman, and philanthropist who has a net worth of $8 million.
She has historically gained a lot of attention for her purported status as one of the “most attractive professional poker players” – an assignation that Shak has occasionally taken issue with, as she has stated her preference that people focus on her poker skills.
Shak was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 8th, 1969.
She is the daughter of Robert, a lawyer, and Cathy, a doctor.
Shak’s maiden name is not a matter of public record.
Beth is the youngest of three children.
Her older sister, Lynne, was tragically killed in a car accident when she was only 18 years old.
Shak later recounted having extreme difficulty with her sister’s death and being unable to function as a result, as she considered her sister her best friend.
Her parents had already separated at that time, too, with her mother having remarried.
Her older brother, Stephen, followed in their mother’s footsteps and became a doctor. As he was away at medical school during the events surrounding Lynne’s death, Shak recalled not knowing how he took the death and was unable to grieve together with him.
Shak recalled that she coped with the death by leaving home and marrying young.
She was only 19 years old when she first married.
Poker Career
Beth Shak attends the AXE Instinct launch party at the Hard Rock Live on June 24, 2009 – @Getty
Shak first became involved in poker via the online platform, Full Tilt Poker, as a result of the fact that her then-husband was playing so much.
She did not initially use actual money, but instead played practice games until she felt she had fully grasped the basics of the game.
She also felt an enormous amount of judgment from male players, and stated she had to train herself not to be intimidated.
Beth initially played professionally in women-only tournaments.
@Getty
She made the final table in her first tournament, losing to the American-Canadian actor Jennifer Tilly.
She subsequently placed 8th and 2nd at her next two poker tournaments, cementing herself as a force to be reckoned with and dispelling the notion that a woman couldn’t compete with top male players.
Shak has not been active on the professional poker scene since 2014; at that time, she had amassed over $450,000 in winnings.
Shoe Collection
Kylie Bisutti and Beth Shak – @Getty
Shak is famous for her staggeringly large collection of designer shoes, which has received almost as not – if not more – coverage than her poker prowess.
She owns more than 1200 pairs of shoes, and an unspecified number of handbags. Her collection is valued at over $1 million.
Shak’s collection has been the subject of much scrutiny since her divorce from the hedge-fund manager Dan Shak, who attempted to sue her over the value of the collection.
Beth Shak attends the Popular Choice Awards – @Getty
Dan Shak argued that the collection should have been included in their divorce settlement, but later dropped the case.
Husbands
Shak has been married four times.
Beth Shak married her first husband – who was, Shak says, significantly older than her – when she was 19. She moved to Maryland with him, and they had a son together, Cary.
After repeated clashes with her in-laws, the marriage eventually failed, and Shak returned to her mother and stepfather with her son.
Beth subsequently married a doctor whom she has named only as ‘Billy.’ She had two further children with Billy, Lindy and Austin. Shak has not publicly stated the reason for her marriage to Billy failing, preferring to keep it private.
Third Husband
Beth Shak later married the hedge-fund manager and professional poker player Dan Shak. Despite her new husband’s wealth, Shak did not feel happy in the marriage.
Though she did not go into detail regarding the specifics, she would later recall that she would often leave the house to sit in a Starbucks, unwilling to go home despite the fact that her children were there.
Shak stated that the reason she finally left her husband was due to her children; she felt that she was setting a poor example to them by “[…]showing [her] sons this is how you treat a woman, and […] showing [her] daughter this is how a man should treat you.”
Fourth Marriage
Rick Leventhal and Beth Shak Leventhal attend Carbon Poker – @Getty
Beth Shak remarried in 2016, this time to Fox News correspondent Rick Leventhal. The two were married in an impromptu ceremony at a Las Vegas chapel, after having only known each other for four months.
Shak’s marriage to Leventhal did not last; the two divorced less than a year later. In 2020, Rick Leventhal remarried to TV personality Kelly Dodd. Kelly was previously married to businessman Michael Dodd.
Beth Shak-Leventhal and Rick Leventhal attend Beth Shak-Leventhal Awarded NY Pet Fashion Show Humanitarian Award – @Getty
Philanthropic Work
Shak is noted for her charity work.
She is the founder of the ‘Deal Me In For Jed’ poker event, which is held in memory of Jed Satow, a student who died by suicide in 1998.
She has also frequently played in charity poker tournaments, playing to benefit a wide number of charities.
These include the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Ante Up For Africa, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Miracle Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Working Dog Foundation.
Beth Shak attends the GLAAD Manhattan summer rooftop event – @Getty
Net Worth 2024
So, how much is Beth Shak worth? Shak earned most of her wealth from her career as a professional poker player and from selling her poker chip set. Therefore, Beth Shak has an estimated net worth of $8 million.
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Lee Parry is a writer and blogger originally from Manchester, UK, and he has a B.A. in Modern Languages from Manchester Metropolitan University. Parry occasionally teaches English and spends most of his free time reading.