Poker is one of the most popular card games in the world, and players indulge in it both for amusement and financial gain. There are many famous tournaments organized internationally, and more and more women are showing an interest in competing. Poker is a strategy-based game, and in this article, we will mention five amazing female players who perfected their skills and reached fame in the industry.
Women Poker Players
Industry Trends
Poker has been a male-dominated industry for a long time, with very few ladies competing. However, the game exploded in popularity in the 2000s when it became more accessible both online and live. After that, the number of female players skyrocketed, and this refers to other casino categories like roulette, baccarat, and, of course, the amazing online slot games. However, thanks to the strategic nature of the game and the variety of tournaments available, poker remains the most popular online casino game among ladies, and many of them really left a mark as professional players.
The Most Successful Female Players
Let’s mention some of the best female poker players out there:
Vanessa Selbst
After winning almost $12 million from different tournaments at the age of only thirty-three, Vanessa Selbst still stands as the all-time greatest winner among female players. In fact, she ranks number 1 on the money list for female poker players and number 41 on the all-time player list. However, this former lawyer and a Yale graduate took on a position in a hedge fund and nearly retired in 2019, continuing to appear only in occasional tournaments. Moreover, Vanesa Selbst is the only female player that has ever won three World Series of Poker bracelets during open events, and she did so in 2008, 2012, and 2014. In 2010, she scored her biggest win ever, which is $1,823,430.
Kristen Foxen (Bicknell)
When it comes to active female players, Kristen Foxen (Bicknell) is definitely the best one at the moment. She has been dominating the scene for the past few years, and she is known for receiving the Global Poker Index Female Player of the Year award three times. Bicknell has been successful both in live and online tournaments, and she has already won more than $5.5 million from live competitions. Bicknell’s husband, Alex Foxen, is also a famous player, and they are definitely the most talented poker couple out there. Bicknell is now focused on high-stakes tournaments, and in 2021, she final-tabled the WPT 500 High Roller.
Jennifer Harman
Jennifer Harman is one of the most successful female players in history. She won two WSOP bracelets and had a total of 12 WSOP final table appearances. On top of that, she achieved 32 money finishes and two WPT final tables. Harman collected more than $2.7 million from live tournament winnings. However, her true passion has always been cash game poker, and she used to be a regular on High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark. Moreover, Harman is the only woman with regular appearances at the high-stakes cash game organized in Bellagio and known as the “Big Game”. In 2015, Harman was introduced to the Poker Hall of Fame. After two kidney transplants, Harman founded a non-profit organization and remained active in different charities.
Kathy Liebert
Kathy Liebert began her professional career in the early 1990s when fewer female players were competing in tournaments. And once she started to compete, she spent more than half of her life as a professional player. In 2002, Liebert made history by winning the PartyPoker Million Cruise reward of $1 million, which was the largest tournament prize at the time. By mid-202, she made more than $6.6 million in live tournaments only. She is a member of the Women in Poker Hall of Fame, and she appeared in television shows such as Poker Superstars Invitationals and Poker Royale: Battle of the Sexes.
Annie Duke
Even though Annie Duke disappeared from the scene after the 2012 Epic Poker League scandal, she is still considered one of the best female players that were active during the poker boom era. Namely, before the incident where she was blamed for the bankruptcy of the league, Duke collected more than $4.2 million from different live tournaments. On top of that, she won the WSOP bracelet in 2004. Her greatest success also happened in 2004, when she won $2 million for dominating the WSOP Tournament of Champions. In the same event, Duke beat the legendary Phil Hellmuth for the title.
Even though it was dominated by men for years, poker is now a favourite game for many women around the world, and the number of professional female players is also on the rise. The ladies in the industry are taking the game seriously, and they continue to win tournaments and valuable cash prizes.
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