'The Mole': Melissa Lummus Is a Poker Player-Turned-Competitive Pinball Player

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from Season 2, Episodes 1-5 of The Mole.

After a nearly two-year hiatus, Netflix's hit reality game show The Mole is back on our screens with a brand-new lineup of contestants! Among them is Melissa Lummus, a 34-year-old professional poker player and fiercely competitive pinball player.

Regarding her experience, Melissa isn't just competitive — she's a force of nature who'll do whatever it takes to take home the prize. And with her poker skills, you can bet she's got bluffing down to an art form.

Keep reading to learn more about her!

Although she seemingly built an impressive career as a poker player, Melissa's passion has now shifted toward competitive pinball. While her pro poker career remains a mystery, her involvement in pinball is anything but. According to Tudum, she participated in more than 75 pinball tournaments in 2023 alone!

Plus, her Instagram page is brimming with pinball content. On March 12, 2024, The Mole contestant celebrated her 100th tournament with the IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association).

"This competitive world has brought me so much joy and community, been incredible for my mental health, continued to be an outlet for discipline and going down rabbit holes I never even knew existed," she shared alongside photos of her playing pinball. "It's even opened the door for a lot of travel, and projects I never could have imagined getting to be a part of."

Melissa went on to express her gratitude, stating, "Thanks to all the tournament directors, venue owners, streamers, more experienced players who have shared their knowledge, game programmers and designers, machine techs, and friends who have listened to me ramble and/or watched our streams."

During her time on the show, Melissa maintains a low profile, speaking up only during the first challenge to avoid early elimination. She strategically acts as a team player, sharing her limited observations with only a select few fellow contestants. How, she refrains from forming alliances or openly voicing her suspicions, which could be her downfall.

Unfortunately, Melissa's cautious approach leads to her unexpected elimination in the fourth episode, as her suspicions fail to materialize despite her efforts to be vigilant.

Before departing, Melissa addresses host Ari Shapiro and the remaining contestants, stating, "Not only is 'the Mole' doing an incredible job but there are players here that are doing incredible jobs of throwing people off track."

Season 2 of The Mole is now streaming on Netflix.