While poker players from around the world were gather in Las Vegas for the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP), Season 2 of The Mole premiered on Netflix. The popular reality show sees contestants compete in challenges to bank money while seeking to determine who among them is a saboteur (AKA “the mole”). One of those on the show was 34-year-old poker enthusiast-turned-competitive pinball player Melissa Lummus.

“I usually wear my heart on my sleeve, and this game is a marathon — not a sprint — so I’m much more interested in unearthing the truth than in hiding it,” Lummus said in her pregame interview.

PokerNews reached out to Netflix representatives who were kind enough to arrange an interview with the latest poker-related reality TV participant.

Her Poker Experience

“One thing I want to clarify out of the gate is I am not a professional poker player,” said Lummus, who lives in Tennessee. “The show chose our titles based on what becomes most relevant in our gameplay, and I was really excited they went the poker route with it because they really recognized that it was the skill, although it is not my job, came most into play in the show.”

As for poker, Lummus grew up in Texas where her granddad was a big poker player.

“Him and all his buddies, it’s what they did together until he passed,” she explained. “He taught me, my brothers, and my cousins, to play when I was like five years old. Some families sit around and play Go Fish, some play Monopoly, we are a poker family. Betting with the jellybeans. I really grew up with a love for poker. It’s very nostalgic, a very homey feeling.”

Since then, poker has always been a part of her life, and while she’s never gone pro, she is a self-proclaimed enthusiast.

“I’ve played in the same home game since 2017 with my buddies. They are cash games, they are not tournaments. I am not a tournament player. Being in Tennessee we don’t really have that community. I’m just someone with a love of the game.”

Pinball and Poker Parallels

So, how did Lummus find her way onto one of Netflix’s most popular competitions?

“I’m a hardcore fan of the show. I’ve never before applied to be on reality television,” she shared. “I watched all the original seasons with Anderson Cooper, all the celebrity seasons, and so when Netflix rebooted the show, of course I watched Season 1. When I found out they were coming back from Season 2 I knew I wanted to put my name in the hat. It was a dream come true as a fan.”

The cast spent two months filming in Malaysia, and to say it was a challenge would be an understatement.

“It really is a marathon, it’s not a sprint. It’s hot, it’s a tough game physically, mentally, and emotionally. Myself and the rest of the cast were wired for that. It was part of the fun, the high level of competition and the high stakes throughout. It takes a lot of stamina. It was incredible, I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

As a recreational poker player, Lummus actually found several parallels between the two games.

“The Mole is a game of recognizing tells. You’re really observing everyone’s behavior and not just on the mission but off screen. Everyone on and off-screen is really committed. On a very basic level, it is learning to recognize people’s behaviors. In addition to that, it really is knowing your own cards. Everyone knows their role in the show, and you don’t know everyone else’s. Keeping in mind throughout it’s not just what you know or don’t know, it’s what everyone else knows or doesn’t know. There were a lot of parallels with poker.”

Similarly, she also sees a lot of parallels between the tournament poker and pinball: “I played in 75 pinball tournaments last year, placed second in the state championships for the women’s tournaments. It’s a great community, very niche but bigger than you think. It’s the competitive nerds of the world in the most living way, and I include myself in that. I travel around and play all over the country. I also do a lot of guest commentary on Twitch streams.”

As for poker, Lummus may be expanding her poker-playing experience in the future. Her time on The Mole caught the eye of certain players, and they’re encouraging to take her skills to a bigger tournament series, maybe even the World Series of Poker.

“I’ve had a lot of people reach out who are poker players. They’ve been really kind,” she said. “I haven’t played a lot of tournaments but people have been very welcoming and say come join us sometime. Now it’s on my list, I’m very keen to try one out.”

For more on Melissa Lummus, follow her on Instagram @mel.lummus. Season 2 of The Mole is now streaming on Netflix.

PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.

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