The sleek black, white and fuchsia logo for Poker Prima Divas is a set of heavily made-up women’s eyes peeking over fanned out cards, or a poker “hand.”

And no wonder.

When founder and CEO Ellen Leikind gets talking about her business, it is all about vision -- literal, metaphorical, peripheral. And, oh, what she sees.

A former marketing executive who still keeps her hand in that arena, Leikind took a break from corporate America and started taking classes that piqued her interest. Among those was playing cards, as she had always been a card player.

“When I went back to work, I noticed I was using the skills from poker,” Leikind said in our recent interview. “When people were trying to negotiate me down in price, I held fast. I kept coming up with correlations between business and poker.”

Among those, she found, were how to set the tone, be a leader, read people and pick up on nonverbal cues.

“It’s a game of psychology,” Leikind said. “Poker helps to enhance skills where women are weaker.”

In fact, when Leikind started getting invited to networking events, she noticed there would be “60, 70, 80 guys and a handful of women.” That was the void she suddenly wanted to fill and so about four years ago she formed Poker Prima Divas 

“It’s poker for professional women, not only teaching them how to play the game, but the need to be aggressive,” Leikind said.

It is her mantra, in fact, that poker is the new golf. In that regard, it may also be an innovative way to get an ‘in’ during the recession. The skills it fine tunes are an obvious benefit, but the networking opportunities are vast as well, especially in the financial careers arena.

“This is not a bunch of degenerates playing cards,” Leikind said.

Even for those who have never been dealt a hand, the surge of poker is apparent simply from channel surfing on any given day. Poker tournaments are everywhere, from ESPN to the Travel Channel. According to PokerPages.com’s Industry Index, as of 2006 poker had grown over 400 percent since 2001; they cite “increased production and distribution of poker related television, the penetration of online poker and the creation and expansion of the World Poker Tour and The World Series of Poker” as reasons for the popularity explosion.

While much of that is tied to money, Poker Prima Divas is not. There’s no gambling -- that’s illegal in New York, except in limited cases -- but there are prizes and donations to charity.

One of the most intriguing things about talking to Leikind about poker is what she has learned about the proclivities of people.

“Men don’t care if they lose fake chips,” said Leikind, whose program is inclusive of men. “Women would rather have one chip left. They won’t go for it all and risk losing that chip. Men play to win as opposed to avoid losing their chips.”

Leikind has, in fact, determined that there are three ways men look at women at a poker table.

“One, as a potential date,” she said. “This guy is easy on you. He wants you at the table. It’s entertainment for him. Two, there are the guys who treat you very respectfully because you remind them of their mother or their sister. And then, three, the guy who will never lose to a female. He’s trying to beat you and intimidate you.”

If the translation from poker skills to business skills wasn’t already clear, this breakdown makes it a no-brainer. Leikind proudly gave examples of her students who have seen poker change their lives. There is Laurie Klausner, who beat eight men at a Boys and Girls Club fundraiser, and also came in third at a tournament in Atlantic City. There is the interpreter for the deaf who now finds it easier to quote the fees for her services, and a woman in the bank investment field whose leads opened up significantly.

Leikind, who primarily does corporate events and teaches classes at the YMCA, has a line of chips and a beginner’s guide to getting started at home, and is excited about her forthcoming book, Poker Woman, How Poker Parallels Life, Love and Business.

“A lot of women are not going after what they want and deserve,” Leikind said. “Stop betting like a girl!”

For her it’s less about teaching poker and more about self-empowerment. And the business angle doesn’t hurt -- corporate sales have grown double digits each year.

“It’s been a revelation,” Leikind said. “This started out to enhance business skills, but it has social benefits as well. Older and younger people come together. It’s very eclectic. These are people who wouldn’t have met under other circumstances. It’s better than a book club.”

For all her vision, she didn’t see that one coming.

Nancy Colasurdo is a practicing life coach and freelance writer. Her Web site is www.nancola.com. Please direct all questions/comments to FOXGamePlan@gmail.com.